I just wish people would realise that anything is possible if you try. Dreams are made if people try.- Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley ‘Terry’ Fox (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete & cancer activist. He became famous for the “Marathon of Hope”, across- Canada runs to raise money for cancer research, which he ran with a prosthetic leg. In 1979, Terry wrote to the Canadian Cancer Society to support his run. He ran close to 42 kilometres a day through Canada’s Atlantic Provinces and after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, Terry was forced to stop running because cancer had appeared in his lungs. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981, at the age of 22, leaving a sad nation behind.
The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held over 600 cities in 53 countries to raise money exclusively for cancer research. Unlike other major fundraising events, the Terry Fox Run has no corporate sponsorship. This is in accordance with Terry Fox’s original wishes of not seeking fame or fortune from his endeavour. During his cross-Canada run, he turned down every endorsement he was offered as he felt that it would detract from his goal of creating public awareness. The Terry Fox Runs have no advertisements on any race-related materials. Terry Fox Run Chennai, in its 13th year, was brought to Chennai in 2009 by Akash Dube, a cancer patient, with the help of the Rotary Club of Madras East.
