Terry Fox Marathon of Hope

On my walk across the snow-filled grounds of Port Coquitlam Cemetery in British Columbia—about 15 miles west of Vancouver—I was searching for my hero, Terry Fox.

After clearing snow from dozens of flat monuments, I finally found Terry’s resting place.

Born in Winnipeg, his family moved to Port Coquitlam in 1968. Terry was a star athlete in high school, excelling in distance running and basketball at what is now Terry Fox Secondary School. He later attended nearby Simon Fraser University.

Statue of Terry Fox at Simon Fraser University, B.C.

After his cancer diagnosis and time in hospital, Terry realized how little funding was dedicated to cancer research. Inspired, he set out to run across Canada to raise awareness, calling it the “Marathon of Hope.”

He began in St. John’s, Newfoundland, running the equivalent of a marathon every day. Tragically, on September 1, 1980, near Thunder Bay, Terry was forced to stop after experiencing severe coughing and shortness of breath. The cancer had spread. Most of us remember that tearful press conference like it was yesterday.

Sadly, Terry Fox passed away on June 28, 1981, at just 22 years old.

He was the youngest person ever named a Companion of the Order of Canada and won the 1980 Lou Marsh Award (now The Northern Star) as the nation’s top athlete. The Terry Fox Foundation has since raised nearly 900 million dollars in his name.

My hero. Forever.

His grave inscription reads as follows:

“He made his too short life into a  marathon of courage and hope”.

1958-1981

Terry arrived in Toronto on July 11, 1980 and was greeted by Leaf Captain, Darryl Sittler.