Terry Fox Memorial — Attraction in Victoria

Terry Fox Staue The Terry Fox statue located in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, Canada is a bronze sculpture that was installed in the park in 2000 near the Mile Zero monument. The statue was created by Canadian sculptor Nathan Scott and depicts Terry Fox, a Canadian hero and cancer research activist who attempted to run across Canada in 1980 to raise money and awareness for cancer research. The statue depicts Terry Fox running with his signature prosthetic leg and is meant to capture his determination and spirit. It is situated on a granite pedestal and includes a plaque that tells the story of Terry Fox's life and legacy. ​Terry Fox is a Canadian hero who is known all around the world. This plaque is displayed on the base of Terry's statue in Victoria, British Columbia, at Mile 0 of the TransCanada Highway. As described in the wording of the plaque, Terry started his run across Canada at the eastern end of the TransCanada Highway, in St John's, Newfoundland. Remarkably, he ran the equivalent of a marathon every single day for 143 days - on one healthy leg and one prosthetic leg! Had he been able to complete his dream, his journey would have ended at the exact spot in Victoria where his statue and this plaque now stand. The plaque reads: "Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenage involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977. While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope. After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John's, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. It was a journey that Canadians never forgot. However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5, 373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22. The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was...

Terry Fox’s ambition was to run all the way across Canada from east to west. Unfortunately his cancer came back by the time he got to Thunder Bay Ontario and he had to stop. He wished to dip his artificial leg into the sea near where this statue now stands in Victoria. Another man who also lost a leg to cancer, Steve Fonyo, finished the race for him. No statue was placed for Fonyo, but there is a bronze plaque...

First place we stop after arriving in Victoria, we visited The Terry Fox statue at the Zero Mile Marker in Victoria is truly inspiring. It shows Terry mid-run, full of strength and determination.

It was a great chance to teach the kids about his story and the Marathon of Hope. The view of the Inner Harbour makes it even more special. A meaningful and memorable stop for anyone...