In , having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Fox was a distance runner and basketball player for his high school , now named after him, and Simon Fraser University. His right leg was amputated in after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma , though he continued to run using an artificial leg. He also played wheelchair basketball in Vancouver, winning three national championships.
In , he began the Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. He hoped to raise one dollar from each of Canada's 24 million people. He began with little fanfare from St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador , in April and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day. Fox had become a national star by the time he reached Ontario ; he made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money.
He was forced to end his run outside Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs. His hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his run ended when he died nine months later. Fox was the youngest person named a Companion of the Order of Canada and won the Lou Marsh Award as the nation's top sportsman.
Considered a national hero, he has had many buildings, statues, roads, and parks named in his honour across the country. Rolland was a switchman for the Canadian National Railway. His coach suggested that Fox try cross-country running, which Fox did in order to impress his coach. He studied kinesiology with the intention of becoming a physical education teacher.
On November 12, , Fox was driving to the family home in Port Coquitlam when he was distracted by nearby bridge construction and crashed into the back of a pickup truck. Fox injured his right knee in the crash and felt pain in December, but chose to ignore it until the end of basketball season.
