ThisisCanada’sgreatesthero。Heneverfoughtawar，hewasnotascientist，andhewasneverapoliticalleader。Howeverbyrunninginwhathecalled‘TheMarathonofHope，’TerryFoxmadetheentirecountryproud。

TerryFoxgrewupinthetownofPortCoquitlam，nearthecityofVancouver。Terrywasaveryactiveanddiligentchild。Fromaveryearlyagehealwaystriedtodohisbestatwhateverhedid。

Terryespeciallylovedtoplaysports。Sometimeshewasnotthebestplayerontheteam，buthealwaystriedhisbestandworkedthehardesttowin。Hebelievedthatifhetriedhardenoughandpracticedlongenough，hecouldaccomplishanything。

Inhighschool，Terryreallywantedtoplayonthebasketballteam。Buthewastooshortandhewasaterriblebasketballplayer。However，thatdidn’tstophim。Allthroughhighschool，Terrywouldgetupearlyinthemorningtopracticebasketball。Nooneevertriedashardashedid。

Formorethanayear。Terrywastheworstbasketballplayerontheteam。Thecoachalmostneverlethimplay。ButslowlyTerrystartedtoimprove。Hishardworkandpatiencebegantopayoff。Byhislastyearofhighschool，Terrywasastarplayer。

Thenin1977，whenhewas18yearsold，Terrydiscoveredthathehadcancerinhisbones。Inordertosavehislife，thedoctorshadtocutoffhisrightleg。Hisbasketballdayswerefinished。Butthenightbeforehisamputation，hereadaboutamputeerunners。Hedecidedthathewouldalsorunoneday。

Whileinthehospital，Terrysawmanychildrenwhoweredyingofcancer。Hefeltverysadforthem，andwantedtohelpthem。HisdesiretorunandhisdesiretohelpcancerpatientsgaveTerryhisdream。

Hedecidedtolearntorunwithonlyoneleg，andthenrunacrossCanada。Hewouldruntocollectmoneytohelpcancerpatients。SinceCanadaissuchalargecountry，mostpeoplethoughtthatTerry’sdreamwasimpossible。

ButforTerryFox，nothingwasimpossibleifyoureallywantedtodoit。So，aftermorethanoneyearofverydifficulttraining，TerryFoxwenttotheeastcoastofCanadaanddippedhisartificiallegintheAtlanticOcean。HisdreamwastoruntothePacificOcean。Hecalledhisrun，‘TheMarathonofHope’。

HisMarathonofHopestartedasanimprobabledream，withjustonerunnerandonepersontodrivethevan。Itwasnotaneasyrun。Heranthroughicestorms，summerheat，andterriblewinds。Sometimeshewouldfallfromexhaustion，buthe’dalwaysgetbackup。

Atfirst，noonereallyknewwhoTerrywas，butsoonhisnamebegantospreadallacrossthecountry。Themoreheran，themorefamoushebecame。Soon，thewholecountrystoppedtowatchTerryFox。

Everynight，Terrywasonthenews。Peoplewereamazedandinspired。TerrytoldeveryoneabouttheMarathonofHope。HetoldthemthathewantedtocollectonedollarfromeverypersoninCanadatohelpfindacureforcancer。

Afterrunningfor143daysand5，373kilometers，TerryhadtostopinThunderBay，Ontario。Unfortunately，thecancerhadspreadinhisbody。Hemadeitmorethanhalfwayacrossthelargecountry。ButTerryinspiredthewholecountryandsoonhisdreamcametrue。Hecollected24milliondollars。

TerryFoxhasbeenawardedmanyofthehighesthonorsthataCanadiancanreceive。Hewastheyoungestpersontoreceivethe‘OrderofCanada。’TerryFoxdiedonJune28th，1981，attheageof21，buthestilllivesintheheartsofCanadianpeopleasagreathero。

Terry’sdreamdidnotdiewhenhedid。TheTerryFoxFoundationstillrasiesmoneytohelpfindacureforcancer。TheleaderofthefoundationisTerry’sbrother，DarrelFox。Togetherwiththehelpofmillionsofpeople，thefoundationhasdonealotofworktofindacureforcancer。