Current Date: 28 Aug, 2025
{{entry.title}}

Terry Fox, a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 143 days before dying

Terry Fox was a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 3,339 miles across Canada in 143 days before dying.

An 18-year-old was traumatized in a car accident in 1976. He was rear-ended by a truck, completely totaling his own vehicle. Surprisingly, the young man was unharmed after the collision.

Only his knee hurt, which he attributed to the collision. But the discomfort persisted. He played basketball frequently in school and believed that the pain was brought on by too much stress.

But the pain persisted after the basketball season was over, so he made the decision to see a doctor. He was identified as having osteogenic sarcoma, a bone cancer that frequently begins in the knee and spreads rapidly, four months after his accident. The doctors knew right away that amputating his leg and then starting chemotherapy would give him the best chance of survival.

Five days after his diagnosis, on March 9, 1977, medical professionals amputated his right leg 15 cm above the knee.

Running 143 Consecutive Marathons

Terry Fox was a young man, and like any other 18-year-old, he was completely shocked to learn that he had cancer.

Terry Fox 1 weekly recess
Photo credit: cbc.ca

It is challenging to comprehend what a diagnosis like this means when your entire life is in front of you. No matter how emotionally intelligent you are, you will never be able to feel what Terry Fox felt during those moments.

But he didn’t stay on his situation. He didn’t turn bitter. In fact, Terry Fox was already playing golf with his father on an artificial leg just a few weeks after his leg was amputated. But the cancer did not go away. He underwent chemotherapy for almost one and a half years following the operation.

He witnessed the suffering of other cancer patients during that time, which had an impact on Fox. He made the decision to run across Canada to raise awareness for cancer after being inspired by Dick Traum, an amputee who had completed the New York City Marathon.

The “Marathon of Hope” was founded in this manner. On April 12, 1980, on Canada’s east coast, Terry Fox started his nearly impossible feat after more than a year of training.

He ran a marathon every day for 143 days. Recall that Terry Fox was a cancer patient who could only use one leg. He ran despite the pain, wind, rain, and storm.

He did something that no one had ever done, despite the fact that he never finished his marathon. Cancer spread to his lungs after 5,372 km (3,338 miles), forcing him to stop on September 1st, 1980. Terry passed away ten months later, 30 days before turning 23.

Confronting Pain

What motivated this man? Terry Fox stayed strong despite experiencing the biggest setback of his life—terminal illness. In fact, he increased his suffering. He aggravated his pain instead of treating it.

Terry Fox 2 weekly recess
Photo credit: Britannica

When I consider my own life, I search for relief from pain at the first sign of it. We frequently look for something to relieve our suffering, whether it be mental or physical. We look for a way out.

Terry instead searched for it. He stated:

“I got satisfaction out of doing things that were difficult. It was an incredible feeling. The pain was there, but the pain didn’t matter.”

That is a completely different mentality. Most people associate difficulty with being difficult. When things get challenging, they give up. But what if you adopted a different outlook?

You seek out adversity rather than fleeing it. I’ve been working on teaching my brain to enjoy challenges more. And let me tell you: it’s not simple.

When you face challenges head-on, you truly understand why humanity avoids them. Comfort is simple. There is no effort needed. Anyone with average intelligence can comprehend that. But we don’t consider that when we’re in the middle of a difficult task. We search for the simplest solution.

It’s challenging to establish a career, launch a business, work on a relationship, maintain good health, learn a new language, relocate, travel the world, and develop new skills.

But you shouldn’t let that stop you. There is only one thing you can do if you want to live a life without regrets: Go all in.

Similar Stories
Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway

Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway

The final image of 14-year-old Australian Keith Sapsford, who aspired to travel the world. In February 1970, he sneaked into the wheel-well of a plane flying from Sydney to Tokyo. It opened mid-air & fell out. When a photographer was testing a new lens, he captured this moment on film and was surprised when it developed.

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Long before radar revolutionized air defense, enormous acoustic mirrors and specialized sound locators stood as the first line of defense against enemy aircraft. Designed as giant “ears,” these structures amplified distant engine noises, allowing operators to detect incoming planes by sound alone. Dive into the intriguing world of these pioneering listening devices, their operation, limitations, and enduring legacy in military history.

8 Interesting Facts About The Unsinkable Ship, TITANIC

8 Interesting Facts About The Unsinkable Ship, TITANIC

If you ask your friends what's the most famous ship in history the answer in most cases will be the same, of course the legendary Titanic. Its history is full of mysteries, at first it was a source of hope and national pride as well as proof of the triumphs of mankind but it soon became a source of nostalgia and pain, the extent of which cannot be described in words.

Will & William Wests: The puzzling situation of two inmates who are identical but not related

Will & William Wests: The puzzling situation of two inmates who are identical but not related

These are the mugshots of Will West and William West, and they are not related. They were both sent to Leavenworth Prison at the same time, in 1903, and after some confusion, the staff understood they had two different prisoners with the nearly same name, who looked exactly alike. They are part of the reason fingerprints are now used as identification.

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

In the 1940s and 1950s, Quaker Oats and MIT conducted experiments on radioactive iron and calcium-containing cereal. The diet was part of a study to see if the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal traveled throughout the body. In January 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached for 30 victims who came forward.

Ancient Egyptians Had Pregnancy Tests Over 3500 Years Ago

Ancient Egyptians Had Pregnancy Tests Over 3500 Years Ago

The ancient Egyptians used a pregnancy test that involved potentially pregnant women peeing on barley and wheat seeds. Plant growth indicated pregnancy: barley for a boy and wheat for a girl. Later tests revealed that pregnant women's urine causes plant growth 70% of the time, whereas non-pregnant women's urine does not.

What exactly was the US's 'Ghost Army' during WWII?

What exactly was the US's 'Ghost Army' during WWII?

During WW2, there was a special unit of men dubbed the ‘Ghost Army’. The unit was made of artists, creative and engineers and their job was to create deception about the enemy. From inflatable tanks to phony convoys to scripted conversations in bars intended to spread disinformation, they used all possible tricks to fool the enemy.