Steve Fonyo ran “Journey for Lives” to help the lives of others but failed to look after his own

Steve Fonyo: A Complicated Canadian Hero
Discovered at Vernon Cemetery, Vernon, British Columbia

On my walk through Vernon Cemetery in Vernon, British Columbia, I came upon the grave of Steve Fonyo — a name once held in the same reverence as Terry Fox, and a man whose legacy remains both inspiring and tragic.

Fonyo stands before the Terry Fox monument in Thunder Bay, ON, in 1984

At just 12 years old, Steve had his left leg amputated above the knee due to bone cancer. A few years later, he was deeply moved by a speech from Terry Fox, who had attempted to run across Canada before his own cancer returned. When Terry died in 1981, Fonyo experienced what he described as an epiphany:

“It came to me overnight.”

In 1984, at age 18, Steve began his “Journey for Lives” — a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research. On March 31, 1984, he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Over the next 425 days, Fonyo ran through every province, finally reaching the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, B.C., on May 29, 1985. He completed the journey Terry Fox had begun — covering 7,924 kilometres (4,924 miles) and raising over $14 million.

Fonyo was hailed as a national hero. He received the Order of Canada, and for a time, his name was spoken with admiration across the country.

But in the years that followed, Fonyo’s life took a difficult turn. He struggled with addiction, mental health, and a series of criminal charges that would tarnish his public image. In 2009, in an exceedingly rare move, the Governor General’s office stripped him of the Order of Canada due to his ongoing legal troubles.

Steve Fonyo died in a hotel room in Vancouver on February 18, 2022. He was 56.

1965-2022

Steve Fonyo Sr. resting beside his son’s grave at Vernon Cemetery, B.C

*all images other than the stock photo of Steve Fonyo are owned by Phil Crawford.