Steve Fonyo, the B.C. cancer survivor who ran across Canada with a prosthetic leg as a teen, has died at the age of 56.

Fonyo lost his leg to cancer when he was 12. In 1984 and 1985, at the age of 18, he mounted a successful cross-Canada run, following in the footsteps of Terry Fox.

At the age of 18, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his achievement. But as time went on, Fonyo found his accomplishments overshadowed by troubles with the law.

He was convicted of and served jail time for several offences. He was formally stripped of the Order of Canada in 2010.

In 2015, Fonyo was stabbed and beaten during a home invasion. He spent multiple weeks in an induced coma, but had recovered and in recent years had largely got his life back on track.