At the age of nineteen, Canadian Terry Fox lost his right leg to cancer. After the amputation, he became a discouraged and bitter young man. He assumed he was stuck in the wheelchair forever and felt cheated out of the “ normal” things in life. Trying to provide some motivation, Terry's formal basket coached showed him an article about a one-legged man who competed in the New York Marathon. The article ignited a sense of challenge in Terry. “If he can do it, so can I, ” Terry thought.
Gradually, Terry began to set goals for himself and decided to take more control of his life. He began to build his body and find ways to run with an artificial limb. He perfected the stride that came to be called the “ Fox Trot ” . He was soon running frequently and feeling good about life.
On April 12 1980, Terry started his “Marathon of Hope” , a solo run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Four and a half months later , after covering 5,300 miles and raising $24,000,000, he had to stop. The cancer had spread to his lungs. Terry was hospitalised, and pneumonia set in. He died at age of twenty two
Terry remains a dramatic symbol of hope and courage to Canada and the world . “I wanted to show people that just because they are disabled, it’s not the end,” he said. All of us need more kind of hope and courage. Read about the rewards in Daniel 12:1-3 for those who trust in God for strength to go distance.
Further Reading
Mark 13:1-12
Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 Corinthians 15:12-28
You can also read:-
