Thousands of Canadians have heard his message of hope and determination, but today students in Belle River and Dresden are hearing it from someone who knew Terry Fox personally, his brother Fred.
Fox, speaking to hundreds of students at St.Anne High School, says his brother was very much a typical high school student before his diagnosis with osteosarcoma at the age of 18. His right leg was amputated three years later.
"As a young guy, he always had to work harder than most kids. He wasn't the biggest, strongest, even the smartest kid in class," says Fox. "Terry was just like them and was able to accomplish most things that he wanted to based on his work ethic."
Even 35 years later, Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope continues to inspire Canadians across the country to raise money for cancer research, something Fox says his family never anticipated.
Asked why he thinks his brother continues to inspire children, Fox answers, "he would have been 57 years old today but when you see pictures of Terry, he never gets older. He's 22 years old, 21 years old, so he's still close to their age, especially here in high school."
St.Anne's holds an annual Terry Fox run. This year's event is on September 30.
Fox is also speaking at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 113 in Dresden at 4pm this afternoon.
