Hope by Terry Fox

By: Barbara Adhiya

Narrated by: Sarah Wilson, Evan Mackenzie

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Featuring excerpts from Terry’s very own Marathon of Hope journal, Hope by Terry Fox shares the untold story of a well known hero—the goofy, resilient, and courageous 21-year-old who rallied a nation behind his mission.

In 1976, when Terry Fox was just eighteen years old, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and his right leg was amputated just above the knee. It quickly became his mission to help cure cancer so others would not have to endure what he had gone through. He dreamed up a Marathon of Hope—a fundraising run across Canada, from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia. 5,300 miles.

When he set off on April 12, 1980, Canadians were dubious. But as he continued across the country, enthusiasm grew to a frenzy. Sadly, Terry’s cancer returned, and after 143 days and 3,339 miles, he was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope. He passed away in 1981, but the nation picked up his mission where he left off, and the annual Terry Fox Run has even spread to cities around the world, raising more than $850 million to date—well over Terry’s goal of one dollar for every Canadian.

After conducting over fifty interviews with people throughout Terry’s life—ranging from his siblings, nurses, and coaches to volunteers during the Marathon of Hope—editor Barbara Adhiya discovers how Terry was able to run a marathon a day. Through their stories and passages from Terry’s marathon journal, Hope by Terry Fox shows that with enough resilience, determination, humility, and support, ordinary people can do impossible things.

©2024 Barbara Adhiya (P)2024 ECW Press

Critic reviews

“Hope by Terry Fox gives us a masterful look into the character and life of Terry Fox, the human. These personal stories of Terry, as told by those closest to him, will remind us that we can overcome obstacles, be the best we can be with what we have, and make a difference along the way. Terry’s impact on my life was significant. My hope is that you’ll see there is a bit of Terry Fox in all of us.”—Rick Hansen, founder, Rick Hansen Foundation

“This book shows why the Terry Fox story never fades. It’s a real-life drama driven by a dream in a mission of hope. Canadian to its core.”—Lloyd Robertson, Canadian national news anchor from 1970 to 2011

“In this immersive and intimate oral history, coaches, fellow athletes, childhood friends, family, and those who opened their homes and hearts to Terry as he ran, reveal—some for the first time—his astonishing drive, compassion, and sweetness of character. His great dream, now closing in on a billion dollars raised for cancer research, still speaks to us today.”—Leslie Scrivener, author of Terry: His Story