For the next seven days, the Metroblogging sites around the globe will be unveiling seven gifts their cities can share with the world - one gift a day for seven days. Metroblogging Vancouver’s Sixth Gift is Terry Fox.

For anyone who’s gone to school in Canada and especially here in the Vancouver area, we are all familiar with the legacy that is Terry Fox. For some who may not be familiar with the name, he is arguably the greatest Canadian hero of the 20th century.

His determination for achieving his dream has been an inspiration to many and has brought hope and smiles to people worldwide. Terrance Stanley Fox was born on July 28, 1958 in Winnipeg, MB and along with his family moved to Port Coquitlam, BC in 1966.

Terry was studying Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University when he discovered he had a tumor in his right leg. As a result it was amputated six inches above his knee and he was fitted with a prostetheic leg.

It was while he was recovering that he learned about a one-legged athelete who had run the New York Marathon, and with that was inspired to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

He would go on to call this journey across Canada the “Marathon of Hope” with the goal of raising $1 for every Canadian. On April 12, 1980 Terry Fox started this marathon off by dipping his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean with plans to end his journey by dipping his leg into the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, BC.

Each day he would run an average of 43 kms which is essentially the equivalent of one marathon a day. After running 5,565 kms, on September 1, 1980 the cancer had spread to his lungs and Terry was forced to stop his journey just outside of Thunder Bay, ON.

After undergoing various treatment Terry Fox sadly passed away a month shy of his 23rd birthday on June 28, 1981 at the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, BC. Although he was unable to finish the marathon he did realize the goal of raising $1 for every Canadian. At the time the national population was 24.1 million people and by February of 1981 a total of $24.1 million was raised.

Terry is considered one of Canada’s greatest heroes and due to his determination has helped raise awareness of cancer. As a result every year in September there is an international charity run “The Terry Fox Run” which has continued to help raise millions of dollars towards cancer research.

He opened the doors for discussion on cancer and it’s effects (which in his time was rarely talked about), as well as becoming a role model and eliminating the stereotype that atheletes with physical limitations could not perform as well as able bodied individuals.

Terry Fox has been memorialized with the renaming of the high school he attendend in Port Coquitlam and most recently a statue at Simon Fraser University. In the short amount of time he’s spent on this earth he has touched many hearts, given millions the hope they needed, and to this day continues to do so.

“There were the faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were the feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair…I could not leave, knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I’d be set free of mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop…” - Terry Fox when writing to various companies for sponsorship.