“I want to try the impossible to show that it can be done”, these wise words were spoken by Terry Fox during the 1980 Marathon of Hope. Strong, willful, and stubborn, Terry pushed through the seemingly-endless marathon as his chest burned. Fortunately, he knew how to deal with pain. At the early age of 18, Terry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma cancer in his right leg, compelling him to completely change his normal lifestyle forever. As he resiliently dealt with cancer, we shouldn’t simply remember him as the man who got sick and lost a leg. When Terry Fox is mentioned, he should be remembered as the man who lost a leg and took action to fight for others who could potentially or already be suffering from the same struggles. He should be thought …show more content…
He played starting guard for both his junior and senior high school basketball team, and although he didn’t make the cut for the first year at Simon Fraser University, he trained to improve his skills and through his persistence and willpower he made the team the very next year. Prior to running the marathon of hope, Fox was no stranger to running for long distances, he was a top member of his high school and university teams. Signifying his talent and hard work, was his handful of medals, and successful runs and marathons. In remembrance of Fox’s accomplishment, The Sports Network named him “Athlete of the Decade” up against the likes of Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. Despite Terry’s acceleration in athletics, he was known as a courageous and caring student throughout his academic and extracurricular career. He exhibited courage when he committed to running across Canada with a prosthetic leg to raise money so kids would not have to suffer like him. Fox was caring because he talked to and inspired all of the children along the way who were also fighting cancer. (pretty much …show more content…
Primarily, he created inspiration for every single person following his journey. He showed all the hopeless cancer victims that anything and everything is possible. Kids and adults from all over the nation have talked about the motivational effect Fox has made in their lives. When Terry started running in 1980, he wanted to raise one dollar for every Canadian - which at the time was 24 million. Now today, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over seven hundred million dollars that funds innovative cancer research to mitigate the overall effects of cancer. Moreover, to continue collecting money, over nine thousand Terry Fox Runs are held each year in numerous regions around the world. Furthermore, major breakthroughs have been made with all of the donations. The development of prosthetics has greatly been improving, in 1980, Terry gave his input from experience with the prosthetic leg, and Guy Marte the head of the prosthetics and orthotics department at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital Made changes to incorporate lighter materials to accommodate for improved mechanisms and better shock absorption. His story has been molded into the middle school curriculum so generations will never forget the legacy and inspiration that Fox left
Terry Fox, he was the greatest, bravest and the most generous man who risked his life for saving thousands of people from cancer. He became the perfect example of seizing a fulfilling life by never giving up to achieving the goal. He was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on July 28 1958. He was a remarkable athlete, yet at the age of eighteen, he found that he had bone cancer. He lost a left leg and he was no longer able to run or move like before; nevertheless, he was inspired by other cancer patients at hospital and promised himself to do something good to the world. His marathon began on April 12, 1980 and he ran 5,373 kilometers in 143 days. Eventually, cancer forced him to stop running, yet he completed his dream of raising one dollar from each of Canada's 24 million people.
Terry Fox is a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, however he spent his child years in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Terry was an athletic teenager, participated in various sports. Terry was only 18 years old when the doctors broke the news that he had bone cancer. Thus the doctors were compelled to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres above the knee in 1977. However, Terry Fox over came is amputation with optimism and grace, he was determined to do something with his life. When Terry was recovering in the hospital he was so overwhelmed of all the suffering and bravery by the other cancer patients. He was also inspired by the children cancer patients bravery, that he knew that he too had to be brave. Furthermore prove that his life was worth doing something great with. In the spring of 1977 Terry begins his first steppingstone into showing the world what Canadians are all about. Terry was illuminated with a brilliant idea, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer victims, "The Marathon of Hope" . Terry's next step was to start training for this ambitious project.
Osteosarcoma is a life- threatening disease but many survivors, like Charlie Lustman use their experience to help others. Charlie Lustman created a 13- song album, Made Me Nuclear, explaining his cancer experience and travels the country sharing his inspirational message. In 2006, an out of the ordinary bump on his jaw was biopsied and determined to be osteosarcoma. He received two major surgeries and chemotherapy. Even without 75% of his jaw, Charlie stayed uplifted and positive. He brings his positivity and inspirations to hospitals, clinics, wellness centers, and schools. (Broderick) Survivors go on to encourage and help other through their cancer experiences and any difficulties they may face.
“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding”. These were the words that the late Jimmy Valvano gave to his audience at the ESPY Awards on March 3rd 1993. The ESPY Awards are sponsored by ESPN each year for those recognized for their achievement in sports. Almost 21 years ago, “Jimmy V” as he was known gave his speech because he was not told to; rather, he gave his speech because he was qualified to influence a revolution. Jimmy Valvano was a prestigious collegiate basketball coach at North Carolina State University. It was at North Carolina State, where he led his Cinderella team to a national championship in 1983. Just nine years later in 1992 he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that ultimately claimed his life at the age of 47. Shortly before his tragic death he received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. After accepting the first Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the first ESPY awards, Jimmy V went up onto the stage humbled and obviously very weak to deliver something long awaited. Through his effective emotional tone, and overall organization of the speech, Valvano influenced a community to keep on fighting, and never let anything get in the way of chasing ones dreams.
Scott Hamilton is a genuinely talented figure skater and terrific role model, who kept a positive attitude and determination throughout his tough childhood, overwhelming amounts of practice, and throughout a cancer diagnosis and brain tumor. Instead of looking back at his illnesses with sorrow, he is proud of where they took him. His cancer battle got him a chance to found the C.A.R.E.S. Initiative (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship) where he speaks to people who are battling cancer just like he was. He works as a motivational speaker in many other events across the country. Continuing to live positively, Scott Scovell Hamilton said, “I know that the only true disability in life is a bad attitude.”
Peter Zucca, a 12 year old from Philadelphia ,Pa. was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer that not only caused him to lose some of his hearing ,but also his right leg. Despite these tough loses he did not give up. He and his mother Dawn Zucca started up the Peter Powerhouse Foundation to help other kids going through what he went through. "The Peter Powerhouse Foundation has raised about 65,000" for the kids that are going through
There are many challenges in life and how they are overcome can separate that person from everyone else. Louis Zamperini in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was one of the best runners to ever live and his road to success was not an easy one. Running is not only a sport that requires physical toughness, but requires mental toughness and both of those were key elements that helped Louie Zamperini stay alive.
In conclusion, Terry Fox is a hero because he has shown initiative. From the time he started running and raises money for cancer research to time of his unfortunate death. He did not run all those miles in his amputated leg just to become famous, he started all of it for the poor people who are experiencing cancer and handicapped problems. Because of him, annually Terry Fox run was set and with more than 500 million dollars raised, because of his great determination and the inevitably persistence to stop running, he had save many lives and encourages many people to do so as well achieving the pinnacles of admiration and inspiration.
An ideal image comes into one’s mind when the word hero is heard; a visual is then created of different superheroes or even firefighters saving people, but what about Terry Fox? Terry ran across Canada with an amputated leg to raise awareness and money for people battling with cancer. He is remembered for being a Canadian hero and an inspirational character for everyone. Terry is one of the greatest athletes who would accept and overcome what the world threw at him. Running across Canada was his way of showing the world that he was not going down without putting up a fight.
Have you ever heard of the famous cyclist Lance Armstrong? He won many cycling events but he was stripped of some of his major victories. He was so good on his bike that he could practically communicate with it. But sadly he was stripped of his wins for a very serious offence to the Tour de France. After being in cycling for many years, in 1996 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The cancer was very bad and was in his lungs and his brain, meaning there was a good chance he would not survive. He had to have multiple surgeries and go on chemotherapy. Three years after he was diagnosed he came back to win the Tour de France in 1999. He continued to win every year for seven years, from 1999-2005. He won the Tour de France two more times than any other cyclist in history. In 2005 he retired from cycling and made a
This was made possible by Team Impact, which connects people living with fatal diseases to college sports teams. JB receives the opportunity to attend practices, games, and team events. Some of the players even go trick-or-treating with him on Halloween. Team Impact provides a great example of how people should live, giving opportunities to everyone they can. The program has certainly lightened JB’s life and given him the chance to be a part of a team, something that would seem otherwise impossible with his condition.
Although she wears no red badge of courage, she has seen no battlefields, yet her eyes have faced the grim, hellish, satanic, nightmare of war. She has felt the brutal, savage, agonizing pain as if being hit by an M16 Assault Rifle. Sinking her teeth and claws so sharp into the depths of her illness, she has held her own against the world’s most fierce, murderous disease known as cancer. It lives at the base of her brain, throbbing with the red blood of life, trying to escape into the vital parts of her being. Throughout all of this, my cousin Kayla, has shown such strength, determination, courage, lion-heartedness and tenacity. Not only is Kayla a hero, an inspiration, she became a spokesperson for The American Cancer Society and was chosen Hero of Hope class of 2015.
... things, and will always be and remain a hero in both the "athletic world" and the "world of cancer patients."
The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It was visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday.
Afterwards, I reflected on what I had just done. Analogous to just before starting a race, I channeled anxiety into focus, relaxed, and trusted my training to achieve a specific goal. Among many life skills that I have gained as a competitive ski racer, I learned how to conduct myself under extreme stress and found that simple acts of compassion can often be the best medicine. Riley’s incident opened my eyes to a career in medicine, where I recognized the same skills I learned as a competitive ski racer in the Cal Sports Medicine physicians I have