If you are not Canadian, it’s possible that you have never heard of Terry Fox and that is a shame. He lost a leg to cancer when he was 18 and in an attempt to raise money for cancer research, 25 years ago he began a run across Canada which he called the Marathon of Hope. He ran for 3,339 miles when the cancer resurfaced in his lungs and he had to stop. He died several months later at the age of 22. Now, Douglas Coupland has written a book about Terry Fox; it is called, simply, Terry:
A visual artist as well as a writer, Coupland has produced a polished scrapbook, filled with photos and Fox family memorabilia. Coupland also re-shot Fox’s fraying running clothes, his one tattered sock, his prosthetic limb, transforming ordinary items into icons. The unattached artificial leg, in particular, looks like part of a knight’s armour.
It sounds like a fitting testament to an inspiring young man. Coupland is donating his royalties to The Terry Fox Foundation.
myfanwy collins 