Steve Fonyo, who lost a leg to childhood cancer and later ran across Canada to raise $13-million for cancer research, has been stripped of his Order of Canada membership because of a string of criminal convictions which date back years.
Mr. Fonyo, whose 1984 cross-country run mirrored Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope, later struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and depression.
Like Mr. Fox, Mr. Fonyo lost a leg to bone cancer as a child, but his post-run image faltered in comparison with Mr. Fox, who died in 1981.
His latest conviction was last summer when he was jailed for breaching his probation after an assault conviction.
"The termination of Mr. Fonyo's membership in the Order of Canada is related to his multiple criminal convictions, for which there are no outstanding appeals," said a news release from the Rideau Hall Press Office.
A former resident of Vernon, B.C., Mr. Fonyo was named Canada's Athlete of the Year in 1985.