The Vancouver Olympic Committee collaborated with Fox's parents, Betty and Rolly, to create the award.

[1] Fox's parents presented the awards to Joannie Rochette and Petra Majdič on February 27, 2010.

The award is a nickel and wooden tray depicting the path of Fox's 1980 Marathon of Hope run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research.

Majdič is a Slovenian cross-country skier who continued competing despite suffering four broken ribs and a collapsed lung as a result of a crash during training before the individual classical sprint on February 17, 2010.

The selection committee, that included Fox's brother, Darrell, sportscaster Brian Williams, former-Olympian and VANOC board member Charmaine Crooks and former rower Tricia Smith, originally planned to choose only one recipient but felt both athletes' stories were so compelling that they decided to honour both.