The personal belongings of Canadian running icon Terry Fox will have a new home and public display at the Royal British Columbia Museum, with an exhibit dedicated to the late hero officially open this spring. The “All Things Terry” collection, comprising items used by Fox during his famous Marathon of Hope, include the runner’s prosthetic legs, T-shirts and the bottle of ocean water he collected in Newfoundland when he started his run. The exhibit is part of a 20-year partnership between the museum and the Terry Fox Centre.
Owned by the Fox family, the artifacts have been displayed in public exhibits before, but have mostly remained stored in Fox’s bedroom at his family home in Port Coquitlam.
“It is an honour to announce the preservation of iconic artifacts belonging to Canadian hero Terry Fox,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, in the original press release. “These artifacts serve as powerful reminders of Terry’s indomitable spirit and unwavering dedication to his Marathon of Hope. By safeguarding these pieces of history, we ensure that Terry’s legacy continues to inspire generations to come, encouraging perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of helping Canadians everywhere.”
Beyond clothing items and small souvenirs gathered along his run, the collection also includes the van he and his crew slept in throughout the journey, and a large collection of letters written to Fox from school children across the country.
Fox began his cross-Canada run in 1980 in St. John’s, Newfoundland to raise money for cancer research. His daily marathons came to a halt on September 1 of that year in Thunder Bay when his bone cancer returned. Fox passed away at the age of 22.
April 12 marked 44 years since Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope.
