Terry Fox

Imagine running almost every single day for months! That’s what Terry Fox did. He was a super-fast runner and played basketball too. But then, he got sick with cancer, and doctors had to take away one of his legs. But Terry didn't give up! He got a special fake leg and decided to do something amazing. He wanted to run all the way across Canada to help other kids who were sick like him.

Terry’s big adventure was called the Marathon of Hope. He started in a place called Newfoundland, which is far, far away. He ran about as far as you would run in a whole school day, EVERY single day! He hoped to get one dollar from every person in Canada, which was about 24 million people back then. That’s a LOT of dollars! He ran for 143 days, covering the distance of over 5,000 kilometers.

As Terry ran, more and more people heard about him and cheered him on. He became a national hero! People would come out to see him, and he even met important people like the Prime Minister. Sadly, Terry’s cancer spread to his lungs, and he had to stop running. But his dream didn't stop. The money he raised helped scientists find new ways to fight cancer.

Even though Terry Fox is not with us anymore, his spirit lives on. Every year, people all over the world run in his honor. It’s called the Terry Fox Run, and it’s the biggest way to raise money for cancer research, all thanks to Terry’s amazing idea. He showed everyone that even when things are tough, you can still make a big difference.