Intermediate english reading

43 | 
P a g e
 
the Atlantic Ocean and filling two bottles with ocean water. When he reached Vancouver 
on the west coast, he planned to dip his leg again and pour one of the bottles into the 
Pacific Ocean. The cards seemed stacked against Terry. In the first days of his run, he 
encountered gale-force winds, heavy rain, and snowstorms. Later, in the peak of 
summer, he ran in extreme heat and humidity. His course followed the Trans-Canada 
highway, where drivers were not always respectful of Terry and his team. Running 42 
kilometers a day took an immense toll on his body, but despite shin splints, an inflamed 
knee, cysts on his stump, dizzy spells, and tendonitis, Terry continued. 
7
The strenuous days through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, 
New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario were not without their highlights. Terry was 
disappointed with poor public reception at first, but his courage and doggedness 
eventually attracted the attention of celebrities and the media. Upon learning about 
Terry, the founder of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, whose son had died of 
melanoma, provided the team with accommodation and food, pledged two dollars for 
every mile run, and rallied other corporations to Terry’s cause. By the time Terry 
reached Montreal on June 22, he had collected $200,000. On July 1, he arrived in Ottawa 
for the Canada Day celebrations and performed the ceremonial kickoff at a Canadian 
Football League game to a standing ovation. Along the way, he was joined by National 
Hockey League heroes who presented him with checks. Tireless and undaunted, Terry 
spoke at functions and events arranged by the Canadian Cancer Society. His name soon 
became a household word in Canada. 
8
On September 1, 1980—143 days after he began his run—a coughing fit, chest 
pains, and shortness of breath forced Terry to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ontario; he 
entered the hospital. The cancer, he announced at a press conference, had spread to his 
lungs. A few days after he was hospitalized, television broadcaster CTV held a five-hour 
nationwide telethon with Canadian and international celebrities, adding $10 million to 
the $1.7 million Terry had already raised. With 5,373 kilometers behind him and 3,108 
to go, Terry hoped to beat the cancer and continue his run. On June 28, 1981, one month 
before his twenty-third birthday, Terry Fox lost his battle with cancer. In the eyes of 
Canadians, Terry died a hero. 
9
To this day, Terry Fox has not been forgotten. Organizations and events all over 
the world have raised more than $600 million in his honor. Launched in 1981, the Terry 
Fox Run takes place every September on the second Sunday after Labor Day in 

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