What do you do when tomorrow feels impossible?
Terry fox didn’t know how his story would end. He knew he had cancer and had lost his leg. He knew his cancer could return—but he kept running.
He didn’t need to figure out how he would make it across the continent, he just had to focus on the day in front of him.
You might never have heard of Terry Fox, but you should have.
Terry was born on July 28th, 1958 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Roland and Betty Fox. His father worked for the railroad and Terry had three siblings.
He attempted to join the high school basketball team his first year but struggled because of his height, so his coach recommended he try cross country. He took his coaches advice and by senior year won Athlete of the Year at his high school.
On November 12th, 1976 Terry was involved in a car accident and injured his knee. Six months later he finally went to the doctor and was shocked when the doctors told him he had osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer that required immediate surgery.
He was 18 years old.
The doctors told him that he would have to have his right leg amputated, followed by 16 months of chemotherapy, and that he had a 50% chance of survival.
But after just three weeks, Terry was walking on his prosthetic leg and continued to impress doctors with his positive mindset and unwavering persistence.
By the summer of 1977, Terry began playing wheelchair basketball and was invited to join the national championship team less than two months after joining. He went on to win three national championships with the team and was named all-star in 1980.
During his time in the cancer treatment centers, Terry was exposed to profound suffering and death of the other cancer patients, many of them children.
He found himself deeply frustrated with the lack of research for cancer treatments and devised a plan to raise awareness throughout Canada.
Read Terry’s own words here about his experience in the cancer ward:
“There were brave smiles and those that had given up smiling. There were feelings of hopeful denial, and feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop.…and I was determined to take myself to the limit for the cause.”
On September 2nd, 1979, he informed his family that he planned to run across Canada. His family was shocked and initially not supportive.
But Fox would not be discouraged. He sent a letter to the Canadian Cancer Society announcing his goal saying he would “crawl every last mile” in order to complete his goal, and began a relentless training program.
On April 12th, 1980 Terry dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Newfoundland and began his run. Very few people showed up when he started.
He called his run The Marathon of Hope. He wanted to raise one dollar from every one of the 24 million Canadians.
Although his prosthesis caused him enormous physical strain and he ran through extreme weather—he would run for the next 143 days, averaging one marathon per day (26.2 miles).
When journalists stopped to question him about how he continued day after day, he replied, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but I’m glad God gave me today. I am going to live one day at a time.”
Terry ran a total of 3,339 miles until he reached Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 1st, 1980—until he was forced to stop. Doctors discovered that his cancer had spread to both lungs.
By the time he returned to British Columbia for treatment, he had achieved his $24 million goal for his run.
Terry died on June 28th, 1981, just one month before his 23rd birthday.
Terry is one of those rare people that managed to live a full life in a very short time, and his legacy became bigger than anyone thought possible.
He was the youngest person to be named Companion of the Order of Canada and won the 1980 Lou Marsh national athlete award. The Annual Terry Fox run began in 1981 and now involves millions of participants and is one of the world’s largest one-day fundraisers for cancer. By 2026, the Terry Fox Research Institute has raised over $1 billion Canadian in Terry’s name.
Terry’s story illustrates what can happen with a few vital leadership traits—vision, perseverance, courage, living fiercely in the present, and ultimately service and sacrifice for others.
As a leader, a parent, and a human—sometimes I don’t know how I will make it through my week, my month, or my year. But in those moments, I need to remember that is not what is being asked of me. When I shorten my perspective and get really present, I find a deep sense of peace and relief when I set my sights firmly on getting through today. I have to remind myself that I don’t have to borrow tomorrow’s troubles.
I often hear leaders talk about vision and the future. The present moment is often emphasized less, but equally important when leading at work or at home.
None of us knows how many tomorrows we have. Terry didn’t either. What he did know is that he had today—and he chose to use that to make a difference.
If the future feels overwhelming, take courage from Terry’s story.
“It took cancer to realize that being self-centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others.”
Take action now
Grab your journal this weekend and look at these reflection questions.
- What would it look like for you to live more in the present at work or home? How does this look when compared to your life right now? What is one way you can experiment with this trait this week?
Have a great weekend!
Parker
