Terry Fox trivia | 43 did you know facts about the famous athlete

Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. He is considered a national hero in Canada.

Let’s find out some trivia and facts about Terry Fox.

1. His full name is Terrance Stanley Fox
2. He was born on July 28, 1958
3. He died on June 28, 1981
4. He was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist
5. His one leg having been amputated due to cancer
6. In 1980, he embarked on an east to west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research
7. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi)
8. This ultimately cost him his life
9. His efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy
10. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries
11. It is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research
12. Over 750 million Canadian dollars has been raised in his name, as of January 2018
13. In 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research
14. He hoped to raise one dollar from each of Canada’s 24 million people
15. He began with little fanfare from St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in April and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day
16. Fox had become a national star by the time he reached Ontario
17. He made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money
18. He was forced to end his run outside Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs
19. His hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his marathon ended when he died nine months later
20. He was the youngest person ever named a Companion of the Order of Canada
21. Terry Fox won the 1980 Lou Marsh Award as the nation’s top sportsman
22. He was named Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980 and 1981
23. He is considered a national hero, he has had many buildings, statues, roads, and parks named in his honour across the country
24. Terry Fox was born on July 28, 1958, in Winnipeg, Manitoba
25. His parents were Rolland and Betty Fox
26. Rolland was a switchman for the Canadian National Railway
27. Terry Fox had an elder brother, Fred, a younger brother, Darrell, and a younger sister, Judith
28. Fox’s maternal grandmother is Métis and Fox’s younger brother Darrell has official Métis status
29. His funeral in Port Coquitlam was attended by 40 relatives and 200 guests
30. It was broadcasted on national television
31. Hundreds of communities across Canada also held memorial services, a public memorial service was held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa
32. Canadians overwhelmed Cancer Society offices with donations
33. Fox remains a prominent figure in Canadian folklore
34. His determination united the nation, people from all walks of life lent their support to his run and his memory inspires pride in all regions of the country
35. A 1999 national survey named him as Canada’s greatest hero
36. He finished second to Tommy Douglas in the 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program The Greatest Canadian
37. Fox’s heroic status has been attributed to his image as an ordinary person attempting a remarkable and inspirational feat
38. Others have argued that Fox’s greatness derives from his audacious vision, his determined pursuit of his goal, his ability to overcome challenges such as his lack of experience and the very loneliness of his venture
39. As Fox’s advocate on The Greatest Canadian, media personality Sook-Yin Lee compared him to a classic hero, Phidippides, the runner who delivered the news of the Battle of Marathon before dying, and asserted that Fox “embodies the most cherished Canadian values: compassion, commitment, perseverance”
40. She highlighted the juxtaposition between his celebrity, brought about by the unforgettable image he created, and his rejection of the trappings of that celebrity
41. Typically amongst Canadian icons, Fox is an unconventional hero, admired but not without flaws
42. An obituary in the Canadian Family Physician emphasized his humanity and noted that his anger at his diagnosis, at press misrepresentations and at those he saw as encroaching on his independence
43. He spoke against ascribing sainthood for Fox, and thus placed his achievements within the reach of all