Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox (July 28, 1958 - June 28, 1981) was a cancer victim & activist.
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. After losing his leg to cancer, the young athlete decided to run from coast to coast in order to raise money for cancer research. Beginning by dipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, he aimed to dip it again in the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver.
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He would not finish his run, however, as the cancer spread to his lungs and he abandoned the course near Marathon, Ontario, near Thunder Bay. He died soon afterwards. However, his Marathon of Hope captured the nation's attention, and it and the annual Terry Fox Run events organized all across Canada have raised more than $300-million for cancer research.
A mountain in British Columbia, where he had lived most of his life, was named for him. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, and his marathon inspired many other activists such as Rick Hansen.
In a public opinion poll he was voted the most famous Canadian of the 20th Century.