Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox CC ODwas a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth28 July 1958
CityWinnipeg, Canada
CountryCanada
I want to set an example that will never be forgotten.
I don’t feel that this is unfair. That’s the thing about cancer. I’m not the only one, it happens all the time to people. I’m not special. This just intensifies what I did. It gives it more meaning. It’ll inspire more people. I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try
I'm not a dreamer... but I believe in miracles. I have to
Dreams are made possible if you try
The night before my amputation, my former basketball coach brought me a magazine with an article on an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon. It was then I decided to meet this new challenge head on and not only overcome my disability, but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me.
I want to try the impossible to show that it can be done.
Even if I don't finish, we need others to continue. It's got to keep going.
I guess that one of the most important things I've learned is that nothing is ever completely bad. Even cancer. It has made me a better person. It has given me courage and a sense of purpose I never had before. But you don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.
It took cancer to realize that being self-centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others.
I just wish people would realize that anything's possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.