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What inspired Rick Hansen?

What inspired Rick Hansen?

Inspired by the dream of creating an accessible and inclusive world and finding a cure for spinal cord injury, Rick Hansen set out on a journey that would make history – the Man In Motion World Tour (MIMWT).

Where was Rick Hansen’s accident?

Born in 1957 in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Hansen grew up with ambitions for professional sport. On his way home from a fishing trip, 15-year-old Hansen suffered a spinal cord injury when he was thrown from the back of a pickup truck. The accident left him paralysed from the waist down.

When did Rick Hansen became paralyzed?

June 27, 1973. On the way home from a fishing trip, Rick and his friend Don Alder are in a car accident and are thrown from the back of a pickup truck. Rick injures his spinal cord and is paralyzed from the waist down.

What is the purpose of the Rick Hansen Foundation?

Inspiring children and youth to understand diversity and inclusion and to sow the seeds early about the power of inclusive communities; and. Accelerating Spinal Cord Injury research which is on the cusp of major breakthroughs.

What was Rick Hansen’s dream?

Rick Hansen has always been an adventurer at heart. As a young boy, he dreamed of going on a great adventure one day, and even toyed with the idea of cycling around the world with friends.

What did Rick Hansen do to make the world a better place?

Hansen is perhaps best known for his Man In Motion World Tour. From 21 March 1985 to 22 May 1987, Hansen wheeled more than 40,000 kilometres in 34 countries to raise awareness, public support and finances for spinal cord research, rehabilitation and wheelchair sports. The tour raised more than $26 million.

When was the Rick Hansen Foundation created?

1988
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), established in 1988, is part of its legacy. For over three decades, RHF has raised awareness, changed attitudes and funded spinal cord injury research and care.

What did Rick Hansen do for Canada?

In the 1980s, Rick Hansen won six Paralympic medals and three world championships in wheelchair racing. He was named Canada’s Disabled Athlete of the Year three times and, in 1983, received the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canadian Outstanding Athlete of the Year — an honour he shared with Wayne Gretzky.

Why was Rick Hansen so famous in Canada?

Amanda (Reid) Hansen remembers that people were fascinated by Rick, because he was a Canadian, and because he was in a wheelchair. Citizens lined the streets for a glimpse of the Tour, and presented Hansen with flowers and other tributes.

When did Rick Hansen start the Rick Hansen Foundation?

The Rick Hansen Foundation was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour, to continue raising funds and awareness to create a world without barriers for people with disabilities.

Why did Rick Hansen do the man in Motion Tour?

In March 1985, Canadian Paralympian and Olympian Rick Hansen set out on a journey that would make history. Hansen’s dream for the Man In Motion Tour was to make the world accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities, and to fund research for a cure for paralysis.

Why did Rick Hansen want to circle the world?

Inspired by Terry’s courage, Hansen decided to undertake a similar journey to prove the potential of people with disabilities and to inspire a more accessible world. But his planned path was far more ambitious: he planned to circle the world in his wheelchair.