Terry Fox: Greatest Canadian Hero | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[music]. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production of iHeart Radio. [music]. [music] Hey, and welcome to the podcast. This is Josh and there's Chuck and. Jerry's here, too. And we are going to. go back to Canada because we had such a. nice time there [music] in June and July. that um yeah, we're going to do a all. Canadian episode. >> Yeah, that's right. We did uh six shows. across Canada. It was our pleasure to be.

there as their guests. >> Yes. >> And uh all across Canada, I feel like. during Q&A, people would ask us uh why. we haven't or would we and maybe why we. haven't. >> That's like the rudest a Canadian could. ever get, >> right? >> It's like uh very sheepishly to say, "Why haven't you guys discovered Terry. Fox yet?". >> Yes. And specifically, there are two. people worth calling out. The first is. William the First. He was the birthday. boy at our Montreal show. >> That's right.

>> We called him William the first because. there were a few other Williams who. asked questions as after him. Yeah. >> Um but I saw he and his mom. He asked us. to do Terry Fox. And then the next day I. ran into him and his mom at the train. station. Oh yeah. And they elaborated. further on how great Terry Fox would be. for a um an idea for an episode. And. then the other guy Chris who met us at. the airport in Winnipeg, he also. suggested it too. So, Canada, you can. thank William the First and Chris. >> That's right. Uh, before we get started, we do want to mention though, uh, that.

we are going on a cruise, a stuff, a. stuff cruise, right? >> Yes. Stuff at sea. Uh, and Chuck, it's. not even a cruise, buddy. It's so high. flutin, it's a voyage. >> That's right. It is a voyage. And we are. departing uh from New York City, from. Brooklyn, actually. >> Mhm. on October 2nd, uh, sailing to. Bermuda and then back to New York. >> Uh, we have since learned that our, um, live show will be on, uh, day two,

>> yes, >> of the voyage at 400 p.m. And, uh, we're. still getting confirmation on exactly. how you sign up for that specific thing. But, >> uh, just, you know, a lot of people have. signed up. The boat is filling up. And. if you want to come out and go on a sea. voyage with us and uh and our other. stuff colleagues, there's lots of fun. fun stuff planned. Stuff stuff stuff. >> Yeah. We're just going to be hanging out. on the boat with everybody, too. So, it. will be a good time. And that show, like. you said, it's early in the afternoon,

so our hope is that you can all be in. bed by 6:30. [laughter]. >> That's right. We don't want to mess up. anyone's uh dinner plans, you know. >> Yep. So, uh, yeah, you just search stuff. at sea on Virgin Voyages and, uh, you. will find everything you need and, uh, yeah. So, we'll see you guys in October. Coming up, Chuck, that's like a month or. so. >> I know. It's really snuck up on me. >> Same here. It pounced, too. >> That's right. Uh, and now back to Terry. Fox. >> Yeah. So, um, I think a lot of I should.

say a lot of the world can be forgiven. for not having heard of Terry Fox. I. actually feel kind of like a schmo for. having never ever heard of him or what. he did. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Had you? When we were touring. Canada. >> Yeah. And you know, I uh not because I'm. just, you know, um some savant that knew. about all of Canadian history as a. child. >> Sure. >> But I was a youngster who had HBO and I. watched the Terry Fox movie uh the 1983.

movie with Robert Dval like more than. three or four times. Robert Duval seems old to play Terry. Fox, >> right? He didn't play Terry Fox. Uh, but. yeah, I saw that I saw that movie, you. know, it was on HBO and I I saw every. HBO movie at least three or four times. when I was that age. >> Mhm. >> So I I that's how I know about the Terry. Fox story. It was from that film. >> Okay. Yeah. And that was definitely like. when he was part of like the immediate. zeitgeist. Like he was world famous. And.

what what stands out to me too is he was. world famous. be for what he did over the course of. about a year like he became like a. public figure and then basically what he. did to put himself on the map as a. public figure and do this amazing thing. which I'm just teasing here. I'm not. even going to say what he did yet. Um it. it was basically over the course of a. year. Chuck, >> that's right. Uh maybe we should say. what he did. >> I agree. Okay. [laughter].

Uh Terry Fox was a a very brave um. inspiring person um like like you said, not only in Canada but throughout the. world because he had cancer. He lost a. leg uh to cancer and planned the uh. marathon of hope where he was to run. clear across Canada with a prosthetic. leg. And that's probably all we should. reveal for now. >> Yeah. Yeah. Let's let's go back to the. beginning. We're gonna go back to. Winnipeg where we were, that was our. last show in Canada.

>> It was great. Uh, and on July 28th, 1958, if you had gone to one of the fine. hospitals in Winnipeg. >> and asked around, you might have found. Raleigh and Betty Fox were having a baby. named Terry. Terry, um, I think it was. Terrence Stanley Fox is what he was. born. And, uh, very quickly, Terry said, "This is it's way too cold in Winnipeg. Let's move out to the Pacific coast. where it's mild." and Betty and Raleigh. said, "Let's do that." So, the family of. six went out to um a I guess a suburb of.

uh Vancouver, Port Kquitlam. >> Did you Are you sure it wasn't a home. birth? By the way, >> my goodness, that didn't even occur to. me. [laughter] I mean, that would make. it way harder to find Betty and Raleigh. if you had to go house to house. >> I could just see that being like the. first correction. Like, guys, they. weren't in a hospital. >> Absolutely. No, like basically if I have. any chance of getting it wrong, I'm. going to get it [laughter] wrong. >> Uh, so when Terry was a kid, he was. really into sports, uh, and really was.

his entire life, but he wasn't, you. know, he wasn't blessed with the the, um, like the size of an athlete. He. wasn't a natural athlete. Um, but he was. very determined, as we'll see, even as a. kid. So, you know, there are plenty of. stories from his childhood where, you. know, he he would go out for baseball. practice like an hour early uh waiting. at the corner for his ride or when he. took up basketball. You know, he was not. a big guy. He was he was one of the. shortest and smallest kids in his class.

>> uh in the eighth grade. So, he would. show up early for practice. He would be. the last one to leave practice. Mhm. >> And as the story goes, on the uh eighth. grade team, he played one minute of. actual basketball on the court uh like. during the season. And by 10th grade, he. was the starting guard. And by 12th. grade, his senior year, he was voted. co-athlete of the year at his high. school uh with his best friend, Doug. Alward. >> Isn't that cool? >> That's amazing. >> I mean, so that's just one of numerous.

stories about how cool this kid was and. how hard he tried at everything. And not. just basketball, he also played soccer, he played rugby, he ran cross country. And he got into cross country. When his. basketball coach, when he was playing. very little at the time and still trying. to to practice and get good, his. basketball coach was like, "Maybe give. up basketball and go take up cross. country." And so Terry was like, "I'll. just do both.". >> Yeah. And he said, "Does that mean run. across Canada?" They said, "No, that's.

just what you call the sport when you're. running through the woods and not on a. track." and [clears throat] he goes, "Yeah, run across Canada.". >> Exactly. It hatched an idea. >> Uh after high school, uh and his. athletic career there, he went to Simon. Frasier University. He played on the JV. basketball team in college. >> Yeah. >> Uh and had a was in a car wreck that. fall. Uh didn't get like super hurt. He. was a little banged up, but his he. started getting some knee pain and for. about 6 months or so, he just kind of.

chalked that up to fallout from that car. wreck. Sure. >> Uh and then that next spring he was. like, "I should probably go to a. doctor." This is March of 77. And when. he was at the doctor, he, you know, he. heard those terrible words that you hear. in an appointment like that, which is, "Hey, uh, you have cancer.". >> Yeah. Specifically, an osteogenic. saroma, which is bone cancer that starts. in the knee. And um this was a time. where cancer research and cancer um.

treatment was the best thing you could. do for something like that was to. amputate. >> Yeah. >> Uh you have to get not just the tumor. out but all the cancer that's around it. And so they're like we just need to take. off I think the six inches above his. knee. >> And he's 18 at the time. An athletic. kid. like this is for most people, most. 18-year-old boys who are like into. sports, this would just be life. shattering. And I'm sure it was. But he.

had an ability to kind of pick himself. up and be like, "Okay, this is my new. reality. Let's see how I can excel in. this reality, too.". >> Yeah. And I I even remember that and I. kind of scrubed through some of the the. Robert Deval movie. Uh they handle all. that in about 20 seconds in the film. >> Really? Yeah. I mean, you know, it was. an early8s uh I guess it was a TV movie, but I saw it on HBO. Maybe it was an HBO. movie. I don't know. >> Hey, I believe that you saw it on HBO. You've been so emphatic about it that.

[laughter] even if it was a TV movie. Even if so, the president of HBO at the. time came to me and said it wasn't on. HBO, I wouldn't believe him. >> It had to be cuz why else would I have. seen it multiple times? Those TV movies. just ran like a movie of the week and. they were gone forever. >> Do you remember the one? It was an. after-school special. It wasn't a TV. movie of the week, but it featured Helen. Hunt and she smokes PCP and runs and. jumps out of a second story window in. her high school cuz she's flipped out on. PCP. And it was Helen Hunt.

>> That was on HBO, [laughter]. >> the home box office. >> Sure, >> man. We should get them as a sponsor. What a plug. Did you ever see there's a. video of the HBO the original HBO um. like I guess title card or whatever. >> where like it zooms through this street. this neighborhood and all the lights are. starting to come on and then it gets to. the mountains and it says HBO or. whatever. >> that was an actual model I saw people. filming in it and going through with.

this camera. It was really amazing. There's a like a short video of it. >> It's great. D. >> Oh man, if we're not getting HBO money. by the end of this episode, I'm going to. be really upset. >> I also want to say to our new listeners. who are Canadian and haven't. [clears throat] listened to us before, but saw Terry Fox episode and started to. listen, this is pretty much par for the. course for every episode we've ever. done. And we're coming up on 1,800 of.

them. >> That's right. 1,800 times. We've gotten. sidetracked. Probably times three. >> at least. >> Yeah. All right, so back to Terry Fox. Uh, he has gotten this terrible. diagnosis. Um, he decides, you know, uh, despite his amputation, he's going to. move forward as an athlete. Uh, he. undergoes 16 months of chemo. And that. same summer that he like right after he. had this amputation, he goes out and. like, I'm going to join a wheelchair.

basketball team. Mhm. >> And not only that, he joins the. Vancouver Cable Cars in uh 1977 in a. tournament and leads this team to. back-to-back national tournaments in 78. and 79. [laughter]. >> Like right out of the gate, man, he's. after it, >> right? So, I mean, by that time, he's. what, 19, maybe 20 for the for the. second one. Um, >> have you ever seen a wheelchair. basketball game? >> Oh, yeah. >> They're amazing. >> Yeah. There was a team called the I. looked up the name because I couldn't. remember, but it was the Toledo Silver.

Streaks. And I'm not sure how my mom got. into it, but we used to go to Silver. Streaks games like a lot. Yeah. In the. early 80s. It was very cool. >> I never saw one live. I bet that's a. >> Oh, yeah. You saw him on TV. Was this on. HBO? >> Just stop. [laughter]. Shame on you. Uh around this time, uh he meets a young. woman named Ra Nota. uh and she became. uh she became a very prominent figure in. his life obviously as his girlfriend and. someone who had you know would be by his.

side through this whole next chapter. that we're about to talk about. >> Yeah. And one other thing about him, so. he when he um took to his wheelchair for. wheelchair basketball, he already had an. artificial leg, a prosthetic um but he. would train in his wheelchair going up. like mountain passes and stuff like he. he he wasn't just like level roadways. It wasn't just like going to the gym. Like he would figure out like the. hardest thing you could do to train and. then that's what he would go do. >> Yeah. Pretty smart. Like I bet when he.

got on the basketball court he's like. this is a piece of cake compared to. going up a mountain. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> Do you want to take a break now? >> Uh yeah. Let's take a break and we'll be. right back with more on the great Terry. Fox. [music]. >> [music]. [music].

>> Okay, Chuck. So, dialing it back a. minute. Uh, the night before Terry's, uh, leg was amputated. It was his right. leg, and it, uh, again, it was about 6. in above his knee was where they. amputated. And um the night before his. high school basketball coach, a guy. named Terry Fleming, uh brought Terry. Fox, an article about a guy named Dick. Trom, who was the first uh amputee to. run the New York City Marathon. From.

what I could tell, he may have been the. first um amputee who ran any kind of. marathon. >> And uh he became after a car accident, took his leg, he became a an activist. for accessibility. And so it was a. pretty inspiring article, you know, and. it just got right through to Terry Fox. Like it was about the perfect thing that. his his high school coach could have. done for him. >> Yeah, for sure. Because he hears his. story and I mean almost immediately.

afterward is like I know what I'm going. to do. Like I know what my my immediate. life purpose is. I'm going to run across. Canada and I'm going to raise money for. cancer research. >> Yeah. And he also uh was kind of driven. to raise money for cancer research. because one of his doctors had told him. that if he'd been diagnosed just a few. years earlier, he would have gotten way. way worse treatment. Like it was just. advancing. >> Yeah. >> And just a couple years ago, his. survival um his chance of survival would.

have been way less. So he was like, "Okay, actually doing cancer research is. definitely worthwhile too, >> right? like they're making gains and can. make even more with more money and more. research. >> Exactly. You always say it better than. me. >> No, [laughter] that's not true. Uh so he. keeps this he didn't make some huge. announcement at first. He told Ra, his. girlfriend, uh he told told his best. friend Doug uh and they start kind of. training in private. Um again, just sort.

of keeping it quiet at his local junior. high. And the first, you know, prosthetics have come a really, really. long way since uh since Terry Fox's. prosthetic leg. >> Yeah, >> I guess we could talk a little bit about. that. So, the guy who designed his leg, his name was Ben, I guess, uh Spiker was. how I'd pronounce it. Um, it was, you. know, pretty new in like, uh, the. development of artificial limbs that you. could actually like use for running and,

uh, you know, to be athletic on. It was. a a sort of a radical idea at the time, I guess. >> Yeah. >> And so they they settled on something. pretty simple. Um, they didn't want to. get like too wacky with it. um they just. you know were like this needs to be. suctioned onto your uh remaining leg. >> and there's no shock absorption. Um it's. it's going to be straight like this was. you know pre when they had things. obviously like these days when you have. stuff like Auster Oscar Ptorius and.

those like blades that he runs on. >> they're like a pound each. This thing. weighed nine pounds and was just uh. straight. So it it really modified the. way Terry had to use it and had to run. >> Yeah. Because he did he lacked the. muscles like he had hamstrings but they. didn't reach down to his knee or his his. calf. Same with his quadriceps. So he. ended up having to do all of the work of. running with his right hip muscles. And. again there was also no shock.

absorption. And Ben Spiker was really. trying. They they worked on a lot of. different models. One of them was like a. pogo stick. basically was based on a. pogo stick. And like you said, they. finally ended up on a simple version. And the simple version actually proved. to be pretty smart because when he uh. started his marathon of Hope, um it. needed to be repaired a couple of times. along the way. >> Yeah. I mean, I think there was this one. story where a a guy at an auto body shop. repaired it with like car parts.

>> Uh 78 Malibu parts. >> Hey, styling. >> Yeah. And then there was a welder I. think in Salt St. Marie who um who fixed. who repaired it at one point too. So the. fact that it was simple helped him in. the long run even though it was. excruciating to run on like he he very. frequently I think basically the entire. time every day he had blood like coming. down where his prosthetic met his leg. >> Yeah, for sure. Uh the artificial foot.

was made from rubber and wood. Uh they I. mean they did the best they could with. absorbing impact but it was not great. Um so he had to adapt like I said. earlier his running style into what they. called a hop and skip running style. where he hopped on his left leg and then. would swing that prosthetic leg forward. and then skip back again uh to his left. leg. So uh if you've ever obviously seen. the great HBO movie uh I think there was. one in the early 2000s as well. They did.

another movie. I haven't seen that one. or just seen a clip of the real Terry. Fox. Right. >> Um, you know, it's. >> it can only be best described as like an. awkward running style that uh you just. had to grit your way through. >> Yes, that's exactly right. Uh, and if. you also, Chuck, are interested, I. believe three iterations of his. artificial leg, starting with the first. and then going to the the one he ran on. Um they are at the Royal uh British.

Columbia Museum I think on display. Yeah, there's a bunch of of stuff about. him on display there now. >> All right. So they eventually land on a. version again that these days uh it. seems very archaic but back back then it. did the job. Um still a lot of. discomfort but he could start to run. longer and longer and he started. training more and he finally entered his. first race in August of 79. Um, this is. just 6 months after he started training. and he was like, I'm just going to get.

out there. I'm going to run like try and. get halfway through it just to see what. I can do. But he ended up running 17. miles, finished the race. >> Yeah. And actually, he finished last, but he was just 10 minutes behind the. last two-legged runner. So, um, he also. got his first taste of being cheered on. by a bunch of strangers who were moved. by his determination essentially to. become a key theme in the the life of. Terry Fox. So he was like, "Okay, I can. totally do this." I think he when he. when he started training, he covered.

like 5,000 kilometers, I think, during. his training period. And this is not. over a terribly long time. I think um. you said he entered his first race in. August of 1979. He started the Marathon. of Hope in um. >> April of 80. >> April of 80, right? So Okay. So within a. year, he'd already covered 5,000. kilometers in a prosthetic leg. Um, so. he's like, I I can totally do this. And. he told his parents, his mom later said, I I told them something along the lines.

of, I think you're crazy for trying. this, but I read that his dad was like, when are you going to start? It was just. the way I think people approached Terry. Like he was known to be very stubborn. and determined, obviously. Uh but he was. like, you know, the point here is not. for me to show off. It's to raise money. for uh cancer research in Canada. And. like he figured out that doing this was. going to attract a lot of attention. And. he could use that attention to say,

"Hey, thanks for the uh support. Donate. to cancer research." He needed the help. of the actual like Canadian Cancer. Society. And at first when he approached. them, they were like, "That's a good. idea, kid, but we're not really. convinced it's gonna do anything.". >> Yeah. I mean, you know, uh he was trying. to raise a million bucks. That was his. goal. Uh obviously, the Canadian Cancer. Society, um like any um organization. like that gets a lot of um queries and.

sponsorship requests from people. >> Sure. >> So to them, I think this was just. another one of those. And they said he. was pretty dogged, though. And they. said, "All right, listen, kid. uh if you. can get some other people on board as. sponsors, then we'll we'll talk. So, he. and his mom wrote to a bunch of. corporations. And uh it was pretty. amazing. They got a lot of uh support. right out of the gate. Um the Ford Motor. Company donated a camper van because. they needed a van to ride along on this. whole run. >> Yes, they also donated the grass, gas,

or ass sticker that it came with. >> That's right. I finally bought one of these. I think I. told you that. No, you didn't. >> Yeah, a couple of years ago. It's my. favorite bumper sticker of all time. So, >> I bought one and I put it on the uh I. have stickers on the um big huge heavy. trash can at my camp. >> Oh, cool. >> Yeah, I did. I couldn't I didn't put it. on my car. [laughter]. >> I was going to say this is a twist I had. not expected. >> Yeah. Yeah, it's at the camp. Uh so,

they donate the camper band. Adidas. donates uh 24 pairs of their running. shoes. >> Yeah. uh Imperial Oil and Safeway. donated uh food and gas money and then. Pacific Western Airlines said all right. we'll fly everyone out to uh. Newfoundland where you're going to start. this thing and um you know Godspeed so. he had those sponsors secured went back. to the Canadian Cancer Society and they. were like all right kid you know you. went out and uh did what we asked you to. do so we're going to get behind you in.

the marathon of hope 4600 uh mile how. many kilometers is something like 7400. kilometers I think. >> All right. Uh starting out in St. John's, Newfoundland, uh all the way to. Vancouver, >> uh his home. >> And they were going to begin, like I. said, April 1980. So, you know, we. talked about the physical training that. happened. There was also the mental game. because obviously to undertake something. like this, it requires uh you know, the. head, the heart, the the physicality to.

do it all. And so he realized early on. like I can't think of this as a 7,400. kilometer run. I need to think of it as. uh like one day at a time and then. within that day to break it down. Um. like maybe I can r the next mile and. then once I finish that mile I can get. another mile. And apparently on days. that were really really tough on him. he'd say I just need to run to that next. stop sign or to that next corner. And he.

would count telephone poles and do math. problems in his head to distract from. just the literal physical pain that he. was going through. >> Yeah. Which is probably the most. difficult thing you can do as a runner, a long-distance runner. >> Math. [clears throat]. >> So much so I remember probably 10 years. ago there was an article that profiled. the woman who had I believe it's. retrograde amnesia where you like just. reset like every couple minutes or every. few seconds depending on how your. amnesia is. >> Yeah. And um she was she was uh.

protested by other runners like. professional runners as as having an. unfair advantage. >> Oh, interesting. >> Because there like that whole like the. the as Iron Maiden put it, the. loneliness of a long-distance runner. never built up for her. So they were. like that's not fair. But that just goes. to show you how awful that the mental. part of running is so much more than the. physical part that they were like this. is this is not fair. And I guess how. awful competitive long-distance runners.

are, [laughter]. >> right? Like, >> what are you kidding me? >> Yeah. They're like, "Have you never. heard of Dick Trump in accessibility?". >> Wow. That's That's nuts. I can't believe. they did that. >> It's not fair. She can't remember how. awful it's been the past hour. >> That's pretty much the message here. >> Wow. All right. Obviously, I'm kidding. about longdistance runners. They're. great people. >> Sure. >> So, uh, he was getting dizzy spells. Uh, he would get double vision. um he. figured like it's just exhaustion.

obviously. Uh he had to get a um. certificate of health from a. cardiologist from the Canadian Cancer. Society to even undertake this. >> And uh when he did this, a doctor. diagnosed him with an enlarged heart. >> Um which is not the most uncommon thing. for like an athlete like this. Yeah. >> Uh but the doctor was like, "Hey, listen. If you get out there and you're. short of breath and you're dizzy, like. you've got to stop running." And he just. kept Terry kept quiet about the fact. that like, "Yeah, buddy, that's already. happening and I'm pushing through.".

>> Right. He said to himself quietly, "Nuts. to that.". >> Exactly. >> So, he's going to start uh running. across the entirety of Canada with an. enlarged heart on a prosthetic leg in. 1980. And uh I feel like that's a great place. for a break. And when we come back, we're going to kick off the marathon of. hope, Chuck. >> All right. We'll be right back. >> [music].

[music]. >> All right, here we are. It's April 12th, 1980. >> Uh, I have just turned 9 years old. >> Uh, I don't know about Terry Fox yet. because the movie hasn't been made. I'm. coming up on four. >> See, that's why you didn't know. You. didn't know about Robert Dval and HBO. when you were four. >> Oh, I knew all about Robert Duval.

[laughter]. >> Big Apocalypse Now fan. >> For sure. [gasps]. >> So, Terry Fox begins his marathon of. hope. Uh he started off by um dipping. his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic. Ocean on the coast of Newfoundland. >> And his goal was uh all right, this will. be easy. I'll just go out and run about. a marathon a day until I reach. Vancouver. And maybe I can raise a. million dollars by doing this. So, uh,

lofty goals. Uh, you know, to raise a. million bucks. It sounds kind of quaint. now, but that, you know, it's a lot of. money back then. >> I mean, it's a lot of money now. obviously, but if you're trying to like. raise money for cancer research today, somebody would obviously shoot way. higher. But that was a ton of money back. then to raise. and he um it was quiet at. the beginning because you know no one. knew about Terry Fox at the time. So he. starts out running and there's like you. know a couple of photographers there. from the local paper and like six or.

eight people maybe clapping for him. >> But and that's how it all started. It. did. And he got frustrated really. quickly because he had the full support. and um and encouragement of the Canadian. Cancer Society, but that didn't. translate into actual action on their. part. Like for this thing to actually. work, >> people had to know in towns ahead of. schedule. >> Yeah. So that you had volunteers who. were coordinating stuff like getting the. word out to the press. Like you needed.

CCS like spokespeople talking to local. newspapers and TV stations. Like you had. to let people know so that they could. show up and see him, be moved by what he. was doing and then donate. Like that's. just how it had to go. Or else he was. just doing this for almost nothing. And. that's how it went for like the first. month. He would get very frustrated when. he'd run through a town, sometimes a. rather large town, they'd be like, "Who. are you? We haven't heard anything about. this." And I think it in the first. month, like a whole month, all he'd.

raised was $25,000. Uh, and so because of this, like he was. he was getting frustrated not just with. the the cancer society, but um just. frustrated in general. I mean like I. can't imagine how tired I would be after. one marathon rather than a month of. daily marathons essentially and his. friend Doug Alward had joined him to. drive the van basically slowly with him. and they were living together in the van. so things were getting a touch tense um.

very early on. >> Yeah, for sure. Um I I definitely. remember this from the movie that they. were they argued a lot and they thought. Why is that so funny? I just [laughter]. don't I don't know. I just imagine. Robert Duval driving the van and turning. around saying pipe down back there. >> No, no, he he comes along later. >> Okay. >> Uh so yeah, they were at each other's. throats a lot. Uh you know, Terry was, like you said, a stubborn guy. Apparently, he had a bit of a temper. Um.

and would, you know, he and Doug would. get in fights. It was a lot uh to. undertake. Like the pressure this guy. was under to bite off something this. this big, right, and put himself out. there like that. obviously was there was. a lot of stress involved. So Terry's. brother Daryl joins them in New. Brunswick to just sort of add like a a. third piece to that um to help diffuse. the tension I guess a little bit. >> Uh you mentioned that, you know, he. wasn't getting a lot of attention at. first. Apparently in Quebec, and this. was, by the way, not our experience. there. We loved Montreal.

>> and we found the people there to be. wonderful, >> but apparently he didn't get any. publicity coming into town. Didn't raise. any money at all. uh in Quebec when he was running through. and um like angered a lot of drivers on. the road. Apparently they tried to run. him off the road. People were honking at. him. Uh he he tried running on the. highway because it had like a shoulder. to run on, but the uh police there like. kicked him off the highway. So he didn't. get a warm reception in Quebec at first,

>> right? And also didn't raise very much. money throughout the whole province. Uh. and I have to say again, I agree with. you. Uh, the people of Montreal were. amazing. I had two Kebecq Qua taxi. drivers, one in Vancouver, one in. Toronto, and both of them drove like. total maniacs. >> I have to at least say that they were. great guys talking to them, having fun, but they were maniacs as far one of them. actually turned around at one point. where he's shooting down a right turn. only lane to cut in in front of a bunch.

of traffic going quite fast. And he. turns around and he's like, "How do you. like my driving? Wow. All right. So, maybe this tracks. with his experience with the drivers. there, Terry Foxes. >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh All right. So, uh had it not. been for uh the Toronto Star newspaper. and a reporter named Leslie Scriber, um. Terry Fox may not have uh garnered such. widespread acclaim because she was drawn. to Terry's story. And hats off to to the.

Toronto Star because they really really. got behind him such that they assigned. her to write a weekly column called. Running with Terry where she went on the. road with them basically like reporting. on everything that's going on. And by. the time they get to Toronto, >> all of a sudden he's running from, you. know, Quebec. His his uh spirits are. down. >> No one really even knows what he's. doing. and he comes into Toronto like. almost like a national hero overnight.

>> Yeah, pretty much. Um I read an article, I think from the Toronto Star where they. quoted a um they said a grandmother age. attendee, her name was Edith Kathy. She. gave a quote to the the paper where she. said that she thought she was in love. for the first time. It's been a long. time since anyone has given me feelings, real feelings. He just seemed to fill. your life with something that was. missing. And um it like that's kind of. how he was starting to inspire people. like he was making people like feel and.

it very quickly became the whole country. and then eventually spilled out of the. borders of Canada into the world while. he was doing this. He finally it did. what he had set out to do. Like he had. finally gotten to the hearts of Canada. and Canadians and now it was time for. them to be like we want to support you. here's some money for cancer research. >> Yeah, for sure. And you know, he was a a. young, handsome guy. And so, uh, that. certainly didn't hurt to to capture the.

hearts of Canadians. >> And he had a cool name. >> Yeah. Terry Fox. Great name. >> Yeah. >> Uh, when he got to Toronto, they asked. him to do the kickoff of a football game. there. Apparently, when he came on to. the field, as the story goes, >> uh, the stadium announcer says, "Ladies. and gentlemen," and like the rest of it. is drowned out because people are just. going crazy. Um, he met Prime Minister. Pierre Trudeau. Uh, he met Bobby Orur, the great hockey player, and Daryl. Sitler, another great hockey player. Apparently, his idols. Uh, they gave him.

an NHL All-Star jersey. So, money starts. coming in. uh celebrity starts happening. and he realized that like you know this. is exactly what he wanted to help raise. awareness and money but it took a toll. on him and that now every town he goes. to everyone wants to do an interview. with him and everyone wants him to come. do an inspirational speaking engagement. so all you know he's running the. equivalent of like close to a marathon a. day. >> right. >> so he's physically wrecked uh he has.

tendinitis in his ankle he has a dry. cough that wouldn't go away Um, and he. is all of a sudden like has to deal like. constantly with being interviewed as a. national hero, which was awesome, but. like really depleting. >> Not only that, like there were there. were plenty of towns that wanted to like. help him with fundraising events, but we. need you to come give a speech so the. the Chamber of Commerce can have their. picture taken with you for the local. paper. Like that kind of stuff, not just. we're going to support you. We want.

something from you in return. And so to. get that money, he would have to go do. that stuff. And um that's a you you. basically can't you can't run a marathon. every day and then spend the evening at. like fundraising events. One fundraising. event with zero exercise in a day would. wipe me out. >> Right. [laughter]. Imagine doing a handful of them and. after you ran a marathon that day. You. also ran a marathon the day before and. the day before that, etc. >> Yeah, for sure. Uh all of the press.

wasn't kind too, which really really. stinks. Uh there were some columnists. who was like, you know, you're putting. your life at risk. Um like kind of. degrading him for that, which is. something I don't understand. >> Um he uh you know, there were like. little offhand kind of like quotes they. would get from from his friend Doug and. from his brother uh about like Terry. snapping at them or something. So. sometimes they would paint him as like a. a tyrant or having like a really bad. temper, which apparently had a bit of a.

temper, but like that's that's not the. lead of the story here, newspapers. So. it's that's really disappointing. >> Yeah. And it's [clears throat] also one. of those things like put yourself in his. position like would you would you would. your patience be thin? >> Yeah. Good lord. you know. Um, so he was. actually like I think act after that. newspaper article accused him of. cheating, he called the newspaper and. was like, "You better print a. retraction." and they did, but I feel. like that kind of like changed his. perspective on things after that and it.

really kind of brought him down and he. was um I I don't it might be overstating. it to say like he was on the verge of. giving up, but he really kind his. spirits had been had taken a beating. from from that experience. And then. along comes this little kid inspiration. in a 10-year-old package, a boy named. Greg Scott who um has bone cancer. himself. And uh as a matter of fact, his. leg was amputated as well. And he uh. idolizes Terry Fox. This is he he had.

been following him basically ever since. the Toronto Star started reporting on. him. And he was hoping he could. accompany Terry on some of the run, >> right, on his uh bicycle, which is just. amazing. So, all of a sudden, you've got. um this one kid with a prosthetic leg, a. 10-year-old riding his bike. >> You got Terry Fox, you know, literally. running a marathon a day. So, like the. the press coverage on this is just being. amped up even more, >> right? >> Uh and it really obviously inspired. Terry, like you were saying, to keep.

going. Um, at about 30,300 miles into. his run, uh, Terry started, uh, you. know, he had a persistent cough, but he. started, um, feeling worse and he was. like, I might have the flu or something, but he was like, I got to push through. He never took a day off in his entire. run, we should mention. So, he runs 20. miles that day anyway. Uh the next day. he runs 23 and gets to Thunder Bay, Ontario and is like the pain in his. chest is getting worse and worse and it. spreads to his neck and he's like maybe.

I'm having a heart attack. >> uh and I'm going to die out here. So. like I got to go to the hospital. Uh he. goes to the hospital and they said you. have a partially collapsed lung. Uh we. got to do some x-rays and investigate. what's going on and Terry has a feeling. like I think my cancer is spread. And. very sadly he was right. >> He was after a couple of days in the. hospital they came back to him and they. said your your cancer's metastasized. Your bone cancer is now growing in your. lungs. And uh it turned out that he had.

a um golf ballized tumor in one lung and. a fist-sized tumor in the other lung. Don't forget his large heart that he. started out with. And again running on a. prosthetic leg that from circa 1980. Um, and this was I mean again like just to. to have that life shattering news twice. and not only that he he's like I can't. this is it. I can't run anymore now. I. have to. >> stop and treat this cancer. So he called.

off the run very sadly. He said that I'm. I'm going to have to go do this at least. for now, but I'm going to try to. continue after I beat this cancer. and. um you know, you guys hang in there with. me. And I just the devastation from. having to stop and he had gone well over. the halfway point, which I found. perplexing because Ontario is not even. the middle um province. I think Manitoba. is. So I was like, he made it to Thunder. Bay, Ontario, but he he made it all this.

way. He had hugged essentially the. Canadian American border, and that had a. lot of ups and downs and ups and downs. after Thunder Bay, it was basically a. straight line out to Vancouver. So when. he stopped and that had to make it all. the more frustrating when he stopped, he. was like, "I have done [clears throat]. the hardest part. The rest of it is like. cake.". >> And um but he he knew that he had to. quit. He did. >> Yeah. Very sadly. It was 143 days into. the run. Uh he averaged 23.3 miles a.

day, uh which is just incredible. uh. raised $2 million, which is double his. goal. >> Uh but he would end up uh sort of. inadvertently raising a lot more money. Um because in September of 1980, uh. there was a teleathon uh on TV obviously. and 48 hours there were, you know, Elton. John, John Denver, uh the great Gordon. Lightoot, of course, and Anne Murray, great Canadians,

>> uh Glenn Campbell, all these um. musicians got together and performed at. a teleathon. It was a 5-h hour live. event, raised $10 million to add to his. 2 million that he raised. And uh so I. mean that was $12 million just in 1980. alone. >> Uh yeah. And then I think uh five months. after that marathon of hope or tellathon. of hope. Um he achieved a follow-up goal. that he had which was raising a dollar. for every Canadian citizen which came to.

24.17. million. Canadian dollars in 1980 money which. from the calculations I made is equal to. just over 93 million Canadian dollars. today. >> Wow. >> Yeah. In just what he started in April. and this was September that he managed. to do that by. >> that's tough. Uh so after months of. treatment uh he got pneumonia in June of. 1981. uh went into a coma and passed.

away very sadly on June 28th at uh the. age of 22 years old. >> Uh so as you can imagine like the the. Canadian people and everyone following. this took this quite hard and he was. immediately memorialized even while he. was alive he was memorialized. He was. the youngest person to uh receive the. companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor, the. Order of the Dogwood, which is British.

Columbia's version of the C companion of. the Order of Canada. He was inducted. into the uh Sports Hall of Fame in. Canada. All this while he was alive and. as the youngest person and then after he. died, it just mushroomed from there. essentially. >> Yeah, for sure. He's uh been on a couple. of postage uh stamps in Canada. um at. the this is I remember this happening. actually at the 2010 Olympic Games in. Vancouver. Uh his mom Betty served as. one of the eight flag bearsers uh for.

the Olympic flag opening ceremonies. Very incredible moment. >> Yeah. >> And you know he's like I said everywhere. we went in Canada in Q&A someone like. asked us to do a story on Terry Fox. So. he's still very much uh taught about in. schools there. Um his legacy today is. probably the Terry Fox run. >> Yeah. >> Uh organized by the Terry Fox. Foundation. Um they separated from the. Canadian Cancer Society in 1988, but. every year on the second Sunday after.

Labor Day, which is coming up, >> uh kids, adults, uh people all across. Canada go for a run to raise money for. cancer research and to honor Terry. >> Yeah. Just coincidentally, we had no. idea, but this episode's going to come. out a couple of weeks before the Terry. Fox run. Uh, so you can go try it. yourself. It's September 20th this year. And, um, yeah, just go look up the Terry. Fox run and you can find a place near. you that you can join a team and do some. fundraising and all that good stuff. And.

it doesn't matter how far you run or how. long or if you've ran before, doesn't. matter. It's all just about raising. money for cancer research and of course. honoring Terry Fox for what he did. Again, over the course of about a year, this this kid became one of the greatest. Canadians of all time, one of the. greatest people of all time. >> Yeah, for sure. And uh you don't have to. be just in Canada to take part in that. The Cherry Fox Run happens all over. North America and South America. It. happens in countries in Europe, uh.

Syria, Thailand, New Zealand. >> It's all over the place. And as of this. year, uh, that foundation has reached, uh, its $1 billionth dollar raise for. cancer research. >> That's awesome, man. >> Incredible. >> So, that's Terry Fox. Hats off, Terry. Fox. There's all sorts of, uh, footage. of him um, doing his thing on YouTube. and all sorts of uh, stories. And. there's at least a couple TV movies, one. of which ran frequently on HBO back in. [music] the early. >> 80s. >> Uh, yeah. So, go check out more on Terry.

Fox and be inspired. Um, and in the. meantime, I think it's time for listener. mail. >> Uh, we got an email from a guy named. Adam about, uh, remember when I was. saying the space ghettos for space. girls. >> Yeah. >> And people are writing in now with more. of these fun things, which is if you say. this in like this accent, [music] it. sounds like this in another accent. >> Let's hear it. >> Hey guys, your tangent of saying words. that sound like other words really made. me smile because my friends and I used.

to say these all the time. I was. delighted. I hadn't heard your example. in the episode before, but here are the. ones that we said most often. Uh, if you. say beer can with a British accent, [music] it sounds like bacon in. Jamaican. So, beer can. >> Oh, yeah. >> I guess. >> Nice. >> If you got to say it, that wouldn't a. great British accent, but I see what. he's saying. Uh, and then Adam says, "Uh, saying rise up lights in a British. accent sounds like razor blades in.

Australian.". So, uh, hand me some of those. Hand me. some of those riser lights. >> Yeah, that sounded exactly like that. >> Didn't you think so? Razor blades. >> I I'm really intrigued by this. I feel. like we've just [music] cracked into a. whole world that I didn't know existed. >> Yeah, it's a thing. I can't believe you. had never heard of any of these. >> No, I've led a very sheltered life. >> Yeah. All right. Well, the the doors are. open to you now, my friend. >> I know. The the doors of [music]. perception have been thrown wide open.

>> Uh and that is uh from Adam. He says, "Enjoy listening to you guys on my. commute, especially the tangents and. longrunning jokes." Cheers from Adam. [music]. >> Thanks, Adam. That was great. Uh I would. love to hear some more of those, too. So, keep them coming, everybody. >> Yeah, same. Uh, and if you want to share. something about Terry Fox or some other. inspirational person or you just want to. say hi or you want to say pipe down back. there, doesn't matter. [music] You can. send it in an email to stuffodcast@. iheartradio.com.

Stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, iMheart. Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple. Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your. favorite shows.