Terry Fox biography captures ‘intimate look’ at Canadian icon

When Barbara Adhiya first learned that Terry Fox had run the length of a marathon a day during his journey across Canada, she was shocked.

Like most Canadians, Adhiya had known about the icon’s 1980 mission to raise funds for cancer research through a 4,700-mile run from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but not much about Fox’s childhood, the day-to-day grind of his run and his deep connection to his supporters.

The editor and writer’s new book, “Hope by Terry Fox,” published this month by ECW Press and Burman Books, explores who Fox was beyond what he called his Marathon of Hope through interviews, journal excerpts, letters and photos.

“As Canadians, we adore him for very good reason, and he is our iconic hero,” Adhiya said. “But I think this book allows you to really understand the depth of who he was as a human being.”

“This is hope, as Terry Fox would teach you.”

Fox, of Port Coquitlam, B.C., was 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to have his right leg amputated. His personal experience motivated him to raise money for cancer research, a move that took the form of the Marathon of Hope.

After months of training, Fox began his cross-country run in St. John’s, N.L., garnering a frenzy of fans and media attention along the way.

In her attempt to explore Fox’s journey and his background, Adhiya – a former editor at The Canadian Press, Associated Press and Reuters – conducted more than 50 interviews with people from throughout Fox’s life over the course of several months.

From the interviews, which included family, childhood friends and nurses, details about Fox’s life emerged that much of the public is likely unaware of, Adhiya said.

“You are painted a picture through their eyes of who he was through all these little bits that no one knew before,” Adhiya said, adding that the Terry Fox Foundation and Fox’s brother, Darrell, helped organize the interviews.

One revelation from Fox’s sister Judith, for example, was that during his 16 months of chemotherapy at 18 years old, Fox refused to allow anyone to accompany him to the treatments, Adhiya said. He didn’t want his pain to affect his family, she said.

The letters, postcards and photos in the book also illuminate who Fox was outside of his famous cross-country journey, she said.

They include decades-old messages exchanged between Fox and Judith Ray, one of his nurses during his amputation, and Peter Colistro, a former teammate on Fox’s wheelchair basketball team in Vancouver. They detail Fox’s determination during the run, showcasing his optimism as he made his way through each city.

“This gives you that deeper, intimate look into his own inner dynamic of who he was, of how he wished to share, how open he was,” Adhiya said.

Adhiya added that excerpts from Fox’s journal during his run also show his character and positive attitude in the face of adversity. The passages share what Fox was thinking as he conquered each mile, she said, and how his supporters inspired him.

“When people read it, they will see that even though he must have been in pain … he was still happy because it was sunny that day,” she said. “He was still happy because some kids came at the side of the road and pushed him further.”

“You can see his commentary changing of how much that meant to him.”

In September 1980, after running for more than four months, Fox was forced to stop his marathon in Thunder Bay, Ont., after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died the next June at the age of 22.

But his story didn’t end there. His namesake foundation says it has raised more than $850 million for cancer research to date, and the annual Terry Fox Run will take place across the country this Sunday.

For Adhiya, the message of the book can be summarized in Terry’s own words: “Anything is possible if you try.”

“This is the beauty of his story, and you can understand who he is in this special way,” said Adhiya.

“We all can climb the mountain in front of us if we learn from Terry himself.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.