Eric Fryer is a real-life amputee who, like the title character he portrays in this movie, lost a leg to cancer.
This was the first made-for-cable movie; a movie made for the HBO network.
Despite its awards, the movie was criticized by Terry Fox's family for depicting him as bad-tempered.
Eric Fryer was cast as Terry Fox because at that time it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to fake having an amputated leg.