Topic spans: 1980 - 1981
Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope
The night before his right leg was amputated, Terry Fox read about an amputee who ran the New York City Marathon. The article inspired Terry's Marathon of Hope, an incredible cross-Canada run on an artificial leg to raise money for cancer research. Terry was forced to end his run when his cancer returned. He died on June 28, 1981, but his legacy lives on in the annual Terry Fox Run.
Terry Fox topic photo courtesy of Jeremy Gilbert
12 television clips
8 radio clips
Training for an odyssey
Broadcast Date: June 28, 1981
Terry Fox, an athletic teen living in Port Coquitlam, B.C., is just 18 when he develops a sharp pain in his right knee. Thinking it's a cartilage problem, Terry is shocked when doctors discover a malignant tumor and amputate his leg four days later.Vowing to help beat the disease that claimed his leg, Terry begins his rehabilitation and training for a cross-country odyssey, running relentlessly through illness, injury and bad weather.
Training for an odyssey
• In the 1970s only 1 in 5 people with osteogenic sarcoma tumors were cured, usually by amputation. Thanks to advances in chemotherapy and new surgical techniques, most now survive.• After losing his leg, Terry played wheelchair basketball with Rick Hansen. From 1985 to 1987 Hansen wheeled around the world on his "Man in Motion" tour for spinal cord research.
• Terry began his rehabilitation by weightlifting and jogging on the cinder track at Simon Fraser University.
• Terry trained for 15 months, and was so serious about it that at one stretch he ran for 101 days in a row. He took off Christmas day because his mother asked him to.
• Terry ran over 4,000 kilometres during his training — three-quarters of the distance he would run in the Marathon of Hope.
Training for an odyssey
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News Special
Broadcast Date: June 28, 1981
Guest(s): Terry Fox
Host: Peter Mansbridge
Reporter: Bill Good Jr.
Duration: 2:15
Last updated:
Aug. 14, 2003
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20 clips in this topic . page
Topic from Radio-Canada
For Teachers - Educational activities
- All GradesWho Was Terry Fox?
- 6-8A Letter to Terry Fox
- 9-10A Terry Fox Journal
- 11-12In Memoriam: Terry Fox
- All GradesDepicting Terry Fox's Life
Poor Terry. He must be rolling over in his grave seeing how the multi-millions raised in his name have all been squandered on bogus research that that only benefits those with a vested interest. RIP Terry with the knowledge that one day the whole world will recognize the Cancer Foundation as the fraudulent organization it is, and that all their fund-raisers and marathons will only ever offer is "false hope".
Submitted by: Vanessa Montrose
I'm sure Terry doesn't have time to "roll over in his grave" as one comment suggested. He's too busy smiling and enjoying "life" watching the wonderful people everywhere who are selfishly dedicating their time and money. This is what Terry really wanted. Just listen to him...
Submitted by: Angie Chisholm