he was a cancer patient who had an amputated leg and a dream to run across canada raising money for cancer research along the way. starting in newfoundland, every day he ran the length of a marathon (on a prosthetic leg!) soliciting donations. he made it as far as thunder bay before the cancer that would eventually kill him reached his lungs and put an end to the marathon of hope

to this day there's an annual event called the "terry fox run" that raises money for charity in his name, and smaller events held by elementary schools for children to participate in (though in my experience those usually end up being a "terry fox slow walk around the block")