Is it Friday already? Well in that case I'd better nominate the new Amputee of the Week.

What is it with one-legged Canadians? A couple of weeks ago it was Quebecker and flesh-eating bug victim Lucien Bouchard who hopped his way into the hall of fame and this week it's the Canadian uniped who just wouldn't stop running -- Terry Fox.

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. In 1977, at the age of 18, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee.

In 1980, after more than a year of training, Fox began his "Marathon of Hope" -- a run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research.

Averaging 26 miles per day, he ran for 143 days. On September 1st 1980, Fox felt sharp pains in his chest. The cancer he he thought he had conquered had spread to his lungs. He returned to Vancouver for treatment but died June 28th 1981, one day before his 23rd birthday.

Although he did not complete his marathon, Fox raised more than CAN$24 million for cancer research. To date, almost $300 million has been raised for cancer research in his name.

For refusing to listen to people who said he deserved a nice quiet sit down....Terry Fox is this week's Amputee of the Week.



The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Program
The Terry Fox Foundation

Nominations for a future AOTW are most welcome...

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