Terry & Me: The Inside Story of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope

It was April 1980 when 22-year-old Terry Fox, a cancer survivor and amputee, began his now famous Marathon of Hope in St. John’s Newfoundland. While his dream of running across the country was cut short by the return of the cancer, the effects of this run are still apparent around the world. According to statistics, more than $850 million has been raised in Terry’s name through annual Terry Fox runs around the globe. (Ottawa Citizen, 26 August 2023).

At the time of Terry’s run, Bill Vigars was a representative of the Canadian Cancer Society tasked with accompanying Terry and his crew on the journey. Vigars gives readers an inside look at the run and the people involved in it: Terry, his younger brother Darrell and his best friend and driver Doug Alward. Vigars is able to give an insightful and first-hand account of both the good times and the bad, the ups and the downs. He shows readers many examples of Terry’s quiet heroism and his genuine concern for others, especially the children he meets en route. However, readers also see the occasional tension among the three men as well as difficulties when Vigars felt that the Canadian Cancer Society undermined the entire effort. One thing is clear –the admiration and esteem Vigars continues to have for Terry Fox. Fox’s dream lives on, and books like Terry & Me: The Inside Story of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope keep the legend alive. Fox’s impression on Vigars was so overwhelming that, even now, some 40+ years after the Marathon of Hope, Vigars remembers and recounts specifics which he will never forget.

Because this book’s aim is to be a story that is authentic, accurate, and complete, Vigars gives very detailed descriptions throughout. While interesting and often entertaining, this level of detail results in hundreds of names being used in the various stories, and these minutiae become tiring for the average reader. Another slight problem with Terry & Me is that it requires some further editing. There are misspellings and incorrect words used here and there which will annoy more attentive readers.

Young adult readers in late high school will enjoy the story and perhaps learn more facts about why Terry and the resulting Terry Fox runs continue to be part of the Canadian school year. Both adults who are familiar with the story and those who are just learning about Terry Fox will find that Vigars brings many moments of the Marathon of Hope to life. As well, 16 pages of black and white photos included with the text add more richness and detail to the book.

The author gives readers an inside story of Terry Fox, an unassuming hero who accepted the challenge to be stronger and braver than most of us can dream of. Thanks, Bill Vigars, for keeping the memory alive!