Rick Hansen

Rick Hansen, O.C., O.B.C., (born August 26, 1957, Port Alberni, British Columbia) is a Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian most famous for his Man in Motion tour, in which he circumnavigated the globe in a wheelchair to raise public awareness of spinal cord research.

Man in Motion world tour

He began on March 21, 1985 from Oakridge Mall in Vancouver, Canada. Although public attention was low at the beginning of his trek, he soon became a worldwide media sensation as he progressed on a twenty-six month long trek that would log over 40,000 km through thirty-four countries on four continents before crossing Canada. He returned to Vancouver's BC Place Stadium in triumph to cheering crowds of thousands on May 22, 1987 after raising $26 million for spinal cord research. Like Fox, he was hailed as a national hero. Today, the wheelchair and many other items associated with the Man in Motion world tour are preserved by the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

Related Topics:
March 21 - 1985 - Oakridge Mall - Vancouver - Canada - Continent - BC Place Stadium - May 22 - 1987 - National hero

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~