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Terry Fox Facts & Worksheets

Terrance “Terry” Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist.

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Terrance “Terry” Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. Fox became a national hero when he fought a courageous battle against cancer, and he raised millions of dollars for cancer research through his Marathon of Hope, a race across Canada.

See the fact file below for more information on the Terry Fox or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Terry Fox worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND CANCER

  • Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 28, 1958.
  • In 1966, his family moved to Surrey, British Columbia, and in 1968, they settled in Port Coquitlam.
  • There, Terry Fox performed well in school and became a good athlete. In grade 12, he won his high school’s award of athlete of the year.
  • In 1977, Terry Fox was a student at Simon Fraser University when he found out that he had cancer. When he was 18, one of his legs had to be amputated above the knee.
  • With the aid of an artificial leg, Fox was able to walk three weeks after the amputation.
  • He endured sixteen months of chemotherapy and ended his treatment with a new purpose. He believed he owed his survival to medical advances and wanted to live his life in a way that would help others find courage.
  • After his surgery, he continued to run, as well as play basketball.
  • Terry Fox won three national titles with his basketball team and was named an all-star by the North American Wheelchair Basketball Association.

MARATHON OF HOPE

  • A night before his cancer surgery, Fox had been given an article about Dick Traum, the first amputee to complete the New York City Marathon. This would inspire Terry.
  • Fox began his 14-month training program, telling his family that he was planning to compete in a marathon himself.
  • In private, he devised a more thorough plan. He planned to run the length of Canada in the hope of increasing cancer awareness, a goal he originally revealed only to his friend, Douglas Alward.
  • On September 2, 1979, Fox was able to run in a 17-mile (27 km) road race in Prince George. He finished the race in last place, ten minutes behind his closest competitor.
  • However, his effort was met with tears and applause from the other participants.
  • After the marathon, he revealed his full plan to his family. Although his mother initially discouraged him, she later came to support the project.
  • Fox originally hoped to raise $1 million, then $10 million, but later aimed to raise $1 for each of the 24 million citizens of Canada.
  • Fox called his run the Marathon of Hope. On April 12, 1980, the Marathon began in Saint John’s, Newfoundland.
  • In the beginning, Fox did not get much attention or money, but he proceeded to run. He ran as far as 30 miles (48 kilometers) every day.
  • When he entered Ontario he had gained a great deal of attention, and the donations started to build up. He reached the halfway point in eastern Ontario, but on September 1, he was forced to stop briefly just outside the city of Thunder Bay. He had some pain in his chest and asked Alward (his best friend) to drive him to a hospital.
  • Fox soon discovered that his cancer had returned and spread to his lungs.
  • He was forced to stop his run.
  • He had covered 3,339 miles (5,374 kilometers).

DEATH

  • Fox fought his current cancer, but it continued to spread.
  • Canadians hoped for a miracle, including Pope John Paul II, saying that he was praying for Fox.
  • However, his condition worsened.
  • Fox died on June 28, 1981, a month before his 23rd birthday..

LEGACY

  • The government made Terry Fox a Companion of the Order of Canada before he died. He became the youngest person to be so honoured.
  • Different sites throughout Canada were named for him.
  • Now, thousands of people participate in Terry Fox Runs in cities throughout Canada and different countries where millions of dollars have been raised in his name.
  • A 1999 national survey named Terry Fox as Canada’s greatest hero.
  • He came in second to Tommy Douglas in the 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s award of The Greatest Canadian.

Terry Fox Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Terry Fox across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Terry Fox worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Terrance “Terry” Stanley Fox who was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. Fox became a national hero when he fought a courageous battle against cancer, and he raised millions of dollars for cancer research through his Marathon of Hope, a race across Canada.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Terry Fox Facts
  • Terry Facts
  • Choose in the Box
  • Heroic Timeline
  • “‘I’m Inspired”
  • Meet Fox
  • Poem for a Hero
  • Fund Raising
  • Let’s Have Fun!
  • A Moment of Silence
  • Fox Stamp

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Link will appear as Terry Fox Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 3, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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