Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters edited by Darrell Fox

Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters is about one of the greatest heroes of our time.  If you ask anyone in Canada over the age of 6 who Terry Fox was and they almost surely will be able to answer you. The impact that Terry, who lost a leg to cancer at the age of 18, had on Canadians when he was running his Marathon of Hope 40 years ago was like nothing else in our history. Can you imagine running a marathon every day on one leg taking you on a journey that will take you from Newfoundland to Victoria – a distance of about 7,000 km? If you are not familiar with Terry’s running gait, at a time where prosthetics were not as developed as they are today, please just take a moment to watch a clip. This movement was not without pain, and frequently, blood caused by the constant irritation of his prosthesis with this gait. While Terry’s cancer returned and he had to stop his journey, he had already completed 143 legs and 5373 km and had raised a significant amount of money. In the past 40 years the foundation in his name has raised over $800 Million dollars in many different countries. I’d say that he’s created quite a legacy.

On this, the 40th Anniversary year of the Marathon of Hope, Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters was created to remind the reader of all this special man has done for humanity. The book was edited by Terry’s brother, Darrell Fox, who joined Terry on his journey. The book is made up of letters written by famous sport personalities, journalists, fellow humanitarians, volunteers and others who themselves are battling cancer or have been impacted by it. These letters discuss the influence and impact Terry has left on their lives – quite the tribute given that several hadn’t even been born when Terry ran The Marathon of Hope.

One of my favourite parts of Forever Terry is the typewritten letter that Terry wrote to gain sponsorship for his journey. I also appreciated the photos of Terry throughout the book. The discussion on Terry’s chemotherapy following the amputation magnifies this man’s determination and courage. There is an important discussion of how and why Terry decided to run The Marathon of Hope. His positivity and drive to make a difference in this world will forever be remembered.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here. This book publishes September 1.