Canada's Greatest Hero

Canada’s Greatest Hero Since the dawn of Canadian independence nearly 150 years ago, there have been numerous heroic figures who have walked on Canadian soil. Some of these instrumental actors were political, some scientific, and others athletic, but one of these heroes who has been an outstanding source of light in times of darkness was a courageous young man named Terry Fox. In a time of immense social struggle, Terry Fox gave the people of the world the direction and guidance they needed in order to overcome all of their hardships and to believe in themselves, just like a true hero. Terry Fox was an extremely enduring and determined athlete, who could overcome almost any challenge in his way. He impressed upon the people of the world the importance of consistent, vigilant cancer research, and promoted monumental funding for this cause. Many people have received inspiration from Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope to never give up and keep fighting. Terry Fox is the greatest Canadian hero to have ever lived.

Terry Fox was a very enduring and determined athlete who could overcome almost any challenge in his way. Terry Fox ran 3,339 miles in 143 days with one real leg and one prosthetic leg1. An average Olympic marathon is approximately 26 miles long and all of the participating athletes train for years before they compete. Also, these marathons are always during the summertime, when the weather is pleasant and warm. On the other hand, Terry Fox ran almost 23 miles every day for 143 days1! During his Marathon of Hope, Terry Fox faced three main hardships. He was running with only one real leg, he completed insufficient training for his journey, and he faced rough weather conditions. To begin, Terry Fox was running with one real leg and one prosthetic leg. The reason for the prosthetic leg is that Terry Fox had had bone cancer in his right leg, and that leg had to be amputated2. Meanwhile, this prosthetic leg caused him a lot of pain when he was running,

Cited: Coupland, Douglas. Terry. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2005. Famous People of Manitoba. "Lou Marsh Award | Famous People of Manitoba." Famous People of Manitoba | Winnipeg Canada Persons of Note. http://famouspeopleofmanitoba.kirks-office.com/tag/lou-marsh-award/ (accessed October 13, 2013). Government of Canada. "Partnership Agreement to Develop the "Marathon of Hope" Exhibition at the Future Canadian Museum of History." Patrimoine canadien | Canadian Heritage. http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1373384754410 (accessed October 13, 2013). History 103. "Hist103:Terry Fox: Canadian Hero." P. Whitney Lackenbauer. http://www.lackenbauer.ca/Hist103/12-1_Fox.htm (accessed October 12, 2013). Scrivener, Leslie. Terry Fox: his story. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2000. The Terry Fox Foundation. "Terry." Terry. http://www.terryfox.org/TerryFox/Terry_Fox.html (accessed October 11, 2013). The Terry Fox Foundation. "Facts." Terry Fox & the Foundation -. http://www.terryfox.org/TerryFox/Facts.html (accessed October 11, 2013). Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. "Past winners of Lou Marsh Award." thestar.com. http://www.thestar.com/sports/2009/12/14/past_winners_of_lou_marsh_award.html (accessed October 11, 2013).