Fred Fox carrying on the Marathon of Hope

On April 12, 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope by dipping his artificial foot in the Atlantic Ocean marking the beginning of a trek that he planned to take across Canada. This trek was to end with him ceremoniously dipping his foot in the Pacific Ocean at the completion of his Marathon of Hope.

Terry was unable to fulfil that dream, but his family has carried on his legacy with unwavering strength and resilience.

We were extremely fortunate to have Terry’s older brother Fred stop in Ninette on May 14 to not only visit the park that has been dedicated to his little brother, and share time and stories with community members, but also to catch up with family and close friends.

Fred thanked the large crowd for attending, going on to share some heartfelt stories of the Fox family as Fred and his siblings were growing up.

Fred openly admitted, forty four years ago he could never have dreamed he would be standing in the Ninette Hall sharing stories of his younger brother.

A special memory Fred shared was from 1969, when the family had dragged their camper trailer from BC, (where they were living at the time), to siblings grandparents home in Ninette. While visiting, they were able to watch the live broadcast of the moon landing, which was an extremely exciting event!

He reminisced about Christmases, and other times spent in Ninette with their grandparents, including summer holidays where he and Terry would go out picking saskatoons and head to the local store to pick out Cuban Lunch treats.

As Fred stood sharing his memories with us, a warm smile crossed his face frequently.

He jumped to the time after Terry had completed his cancer treatments and returned home. Showing his trademark quiet determination and drive, Terry would go out late at night to learn to run on his artificial leg – he did this because he didn’t want anyone to see him fall. This was the beginning of the extensive training he needed for the marathon he was planning, starting slowly but quickly building up his endurance. Fred pointed out that not many realize that the artificial leg Terry was outfitted with was nothing like the state of the art equipment that is seen now. Then the prosthetics were built for walking only, and even when just walking, many users experienced difficulties.

Terry knew he wanted to do something to raise money for research to help overcome this devastating disease, and he had come up with a plan, but was hesitant to share it with his mother Betty who he knew would be filled with worry.

Betty did worry, and wanted Terry to keep the marathon within British Columbia, but Terry had other plans and Betty was quite aware of her son’s stubborn determination so she threw her unwavering support behind her son. (Note: Betty became a cancer research activist and founder of the Terry Fox Foundation).

When talking of Terry readying himself, Fred said that Terry always had the most incredible quiet determination he had ever seen, going back to a story when Terry was in grade eight and wanted to play basketball.

The problem was Terry was the smallest guy in the school, and he had never played on a basketball team before. The Coach at the time said although he didn’t think he was ready for the team yet, he suggested he keep training and learning. By grade ten, Terry had made the team as a starter. In 1976 Terry enrolled at Simon Fraser, the only university with a NCAA team; he was part of the team!

In March 1977, the pain that had developed in his knee had become unbearable, forcing him to see a doctor – no one was ready for the diagnosis.

After being diagnosed with what was then referred to as the ‘c word’, he underwent the amputation of his leg. Within a couple of weeks he was ready to get up and get moving. His incredible positive attitude helped carry him through his healing and treatments. Going through chemo, he lost all his hair and joked that losing his hair was harder than losing his leg. Fred went on to say Terry felt that getting cancer made him a more caring person – it changed his life.

There is no way anyone could have known all those years ago the impact the young Terry Fox would have on the world.

The letter Terry submitted to Adidas, dated November 3, 1979, gives us a glimpse of the man behind the Marathon of Hope. It reads as follows:

“My name is Terry Fox, I am 21 years old, and I am an amputee. I lost my right leg above the knee two and a half years ago due to cancer.

“The night before my amputation, a former basketball coach brought me a magazine with an article on an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon in it. It was then when I decided to meet this new challenge head on and not only overcome my disability, but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me. But I soon realized that that would only be half my quest, for as I went through the 16 months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotherapy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed throughout the cancer clinic. There were the faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were the feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop… and I was determined to take myself to the limit for this cause.

“I feel now is the time to make good my promise. I have been training for over 8 months, running on an artificial leg. Starting with ½ mile, I have now worked up to 15 miles a day, adding a half mile weekly.

“At first the going was extremely difficult, as I was facing chronic ailments foreign to runners with two legs, in addition to the common physical strains felt by all dedicated athletes. But these problems are now behind me as I have either out-persisted or learned to deal with them. I feel strong not only physically, but more important, emotionally. Soon I will be adding one full mile each week, and coupled with the weight training I have been doing three times a week, by April next year I will be ready to achieve something that for me was once only a distant dream reserved for the world of miracles; to run across Canada to raise money for the fight against cancer.

“The running I can do, even if I have to crawl every last mile. But there are some barriers I cannot overcome alone. I need your help, your sponsorship, to help provide the means to sustain myself and two others that have consented to put aside those 5 months to be my companions and aides. We will be needing transportation to Newfoundland, a camper-type vehicle to meet us there, and money for food, gas, and other necessities. My three years in university have quite aptly drained me financially, and just the thought that I will require about 26 pairs of running shoes for myself and running companion makes my now dwindling account crawl even deeper into its hole.

“If you could just sponsor us for the footwear, it would be more than appreciated and would take a great financial burden off our backs. If you would also like to provide your sponsorship for any other expenditures for the trip, you are most welcome to, as we need as much help as we can get.

“Please, consider my plea carefully and notify me if you come to any decisions, good or bad. My number is listed below and I can be reached or a message can be left any time during the day.

“We need your help. The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying that this will initiate the definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.”

And with that, Adidas gifted Terry with 26 new pairs of Adidas shoes – but their support did not stop there. Adidas released a 40th Anniversary, limited edition shoe which sold out in minutes.

When Terry started out, he was hoping he could raise $1 million dollars – he had no idea of the impact he would have on the world! Starting from St. John’s Newfoundland on April 12, 1980, Terry ran through snow and rain averaging 26 miles or 42 kilometres per day – unwavering in his determination.

In August of the same year he developed a bad cough but didn’t think much of it given the mixed bag of weather that was being dealt with.

Unfortunately, by September 1, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, he was hospitalized.

Fred related the story when he and his parents were returning home from a Marathon of Hope fundraising event when they turned on the radio and the news of Terry being taken to hospital was being shared across the airwaves. This was a time long before cell phones.

The family raced home.

His parents’ phone was ringing as they opened the door with Terry’s worried mother quickly picking up the receiver. Terry was on the other end explaining he had been admitted to hospital and would be returning home for treatments.

Terry still held out hope he would be able to finish what he had started.

Terry passed away on June 28, 1981, just one month before what would have been his 23rd birthday. By February of 1981, Terry’s Marathon of Hope had raised $24 million for cancer research – by far surpassing anything that Terry could have dreamed of.

Terry’s parting words to his supporters: “It has to keep going without me.”

Fred is a gifted narrator who beautifully chronicled to the audience the painful loss his family experienced when Terry succumbed to the cancer that ravaged his body, turning the Fox family experience into a story of hope and remembrance.

Fred shared that for the past 10 years he has always made a point of stopping in Ninette when he was close.

Terry’s Marathon of Hope continues to grow and flourish even after his passing, with his family bravely carrying the torch and igniting others.

Forty Four years later Terry Fox lives on in the hearts and minds of people around the world!

As of September 2023, the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope has raised $900 million for cancer research.

One person can change the world – they just have to have the drive and determination for it to happen.

PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Fred Fox, Terry Fox’s brother gave a presentation in Ninette on May 16 about Terry’s life and story. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK