🌆 Chapter 4: Modern Canada
At what age did Terry Fox lose his right leg to cancer?
Correct answer: 18
A 16
✓ 18
C 21
D 24
💡 Explanation
Fox, from British Columbia, had his right leg amputated because of cancer when he was 18.
Key facts to remember
- Cancer cost Terry Fox his right leg at age 18
- In 1980 he began the "Marathon of Hope" run across Canada
- He did not finish the run and later died of cancer
- Yearly fundraising events continue in his name
- In 1985 Rick Hansen travelled around the globe in a wheelchair
- He raised funds for spinal cord research
- Like Terry Fox, he came from British Columbia
Why this is the answer
From the official Discover Canada study guide — 4.5.2 Terry Fox and Rick Hansen:
Terry Fox came from British Columbia. Cancer cost him his right leg when he was 18 years old. In 1980 he set out to run across the country. He called the journey the "Marathon of Hope," and its purpose was to collect donations for cancer research. Canadians took him to heart and he became a national hero. He never finished the run, and the disease finally killed him. His name lives on through fundraising events held every year.
Rick Hansen was another British Columbian. In 1985 he went around the world in a wheelchair. His aim was to collect donations for spinal cord research. Like Terry Fox before him, he turned a personal journey into a national cause. The two men are remembered together as examples of Canadian courage and determination, and their names are still linked with raising money for medical research.
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