Terry Fox Essay -- essays research papers

In Canadian history there are many famous people. In my mind one really stands out among the rest. His name is Terry Fox and he is one of the greatest athlete to run on the face of this planet. Terry discovered he had cancer and then decided to run across Canada. He was a brave man who would take what the world through at him. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out with out a fight. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on July 28 1958 Terry was raised in port Coquintlam, British Columbia. He was very athletic from a young age. When he was in grade eight Terry was rated nineteen out of nineteen on his basketball team. For that first season he was on the court for approximately one minute. This did not affect Terry and did not let it get to him, fore just two years later Terry was the starring player on his team. By the time he graduated he became one of two athletes to receive the schools highest athletic award. Terry knew that aches and pains are common in athlete’s lives. At the end of his first year of university there was a new pain in his knee. One morning Terry woke up to see that he could no longer stand up. A week later Terry found out that it was not just an ache he had a malignant tumor; his leg would have to be cut off six inches above the knee. Terry’s doctor told him that he had a chance of living but the odds were fifty to seventy percent. He also said that he should be glad it happened now fore just 2 years ago the chance of living was fifteen percent. The night before his operation a former coach brought Terry a magazine featuring a man who ran a marathon after a similar operation. Terry didn’t want to do something small if he was going to do something he was going to do it big. "I am competitive" Terry said, "I’m a dreamer. I like challenges. I don’t give up. When I decided to do it, I knew it was going to be all out. There w as no in between Terry’s sixteen month follow up he saw all the young people suffering and getting weak by the disease. He never forgot what he saw and felt burdened to thoughts that died to run this marathon. He was one of the lucky one in three people to survive in the cancer clinics. Terry wrote asking for sponsorship " I could not leave knowing that these faces and feelings would still be here even though I would be set free of mine, s... ...sed in the middle of the street. "Yesterday I could run twenty three miles and now I can’t cross the street." Terry said. Terry’s mother cried as Terry spoke to the reporters "Well, you know, I had primarily cancer is in my lungs and I have to go home." His voice broke as he spoke. But he continued "and have some more x-rays or maybe an operation that will involving opening my chest or more drugs I’ll do everything I can. I’m gonna do my best. I’ll fight. I promise I wont give up." His father pleated with him to give up and take the rest of his life slowly. For ten months Terry battle with the disease left him in pain for most of the end of his life. Terry died with his family beside him on June 28, 1981 one month before his twenty third birthday. Terry Fox in my opinion was a true Canadian hero He went to his limit to fulfill the dreams of all his friends that he made in the cancer clinics. He gave his life to those people and died for them. Terry is not a person that anybody will forget. He is and amazing person and a good role model for anybody to look up to. He has proven that he can take anything the world throws at him.