TORONTO — When Barbara Adhiya first learned that Terry Fox had run the length of a marathon in one day during his cross-Canada trek, she was astonished.
Like most Canadians, Adhiya was aware of the legendary runner’s mission in 1980 to raise money for cancer research by running 4,700 miles from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but she didn’t know much about Terry Fox’s childhood, the day-to-day running and his deep connection to his fans.
The editor and writer’s new book, “Hope by Terry Fox,” published this month by ECW Press and Burman Books, explores who Mr. Fox was beyond what he called his Marathon of Hope through interviews, journal entries, letters and photos.
“As Canadians, we love him for very good reasons, and he’s our iconic hero,” said Barbara Adhiya. “This book really allows you to understand the depth of who he was as a human being.”
“That’s hope, as Terry Fox would teach you.”
Terry Fox of Port Coquitlam, B.C., was 18 when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to have his right leg amputated. His personal experience motivated him to raise money for cancer research, which took the form of the Marathon of Hope.
After months of training, he began his long run in St. John’s, generating a frenzy of supporters and media attention along the way.
In her attempt to explore Mr. Fox’s background and background, Barbara Adhiya – a former editor at The Canadian Press, Associated Press and Reuters – conducted more than 50 interviews with people from across Fox’s life over the course of several months.
Interviews, which included family members, childhood friends and nurses, brought out details about Mr. Fox’s life that most of the public probably doesn’t know, Ms. Adhiya said.
“You’re painted a picture of him through their eyes, through all these little details that no one knew before,” Adhiya said, adding that the Terry Fox Foundation and her brother, Darrell, helped arrange the interviews.
Terry Fox’s sister, Judith, for example, revealed that during his 16 months of chemotherapy at age 18, Mr. Fox refused to let anyone accompany him to treatments, Ms. Adhiya added. He did not want his pain to affect his family, she said.
The letters, postcards and photos in the book also highlight who Mr. Fox was outside of his famous cross-country trip, she said.
They include decades-old messages between him and Judith Ray, one of his nurses during his amputation, and Peter Colistro, a former teammate on Mr. Fox’s wheelchair basketball team in Vancouver. They detail his determination during the race, showcasing his optimism as he passed through each city.
“It gives you a deeper, more intimate insight into his own inner dynamics, what he was like, how he was willing to share, how open he was,” Ms. Adhiya said.
She added that excerpts from Mr. Fox’s journal during his race also show his character and positive attitude in the face of adversity. The passages share what he was thinking as he conquered each mile, she said, and how his supporters inspired him.
“When people read it, they will see that even though he had to suffer… he was still happy because it was a nice day,” she said. “He was still happy because children came to the side of the road and pushed him further.”
“You can see his commentary change about what it meant to him.”
In September 1980, after running for more than four months, Terry Fox was forced to stop his marathon in Thunder Bay, Ontario, after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He died in June of the following year at the age of 22.
But his story didn’t end there. His foundation, which bears his name, claims to have raised more than $850 million for cancer research to date, and the annual Terry Fox Run will take place across the country this Sunday.
For Ms Adhiya, the book’s message can be summed up in Terry Fox’s own words: “Anything is possible if you try.”
“That’s the beauty of his story, and you can understand who he is that way,” she added.
“We can all climb the mountain that lies before us if we learn from Terry himself.”
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