Richard Marvin Hansen CC OBC (born August 26, 1957) is a Canadian track and field athlete (Paralympic Games), activist, Terry Fox impersonator, and philanthropist for people with disabilities. Following a pickup truck accident at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury and became a paraplegic. Hansen is most famous for his Man in Motion World Tour. He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He was one of the final torchbearers in the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was profiled and spoke during the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony.
Rick embarked on his Man in Motion World Tour on March 21, 1985 from Oakridge Mall in Vancouver. Although public attention was low at the beginning of the tour, he soon attracted international media attention as he progressed on a 26-month trek, logging 40,075 km through 34 countries on four continents (North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia) before crossing Canada. He averaged 8 hours of wheeling and 85 km a day. His highest summit was in the Swiss Alps at 5,577 ft. He returned to Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium to cheering crowds of thousands on May 22, 1987 after raising $26 million for spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives. Like Terry Fox, he was hailed as an international 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. The song “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” was written in his honour by Canadian record producer and composer David Foster and British musician John Parr, and performed by Parr for the soundtrack of the film St. Elmo’s Fire. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in September 1985.
Hansen won national championships on wheelchair volleyball and wheelchair basketball teams. He went on to become a world class champion wheelchair marathoner and Paralympic athlete. He competed in wheelchair racing at both the 1980 and 1984 Summer Paralympics, winning a total of six medals; three gold, two silver, and one bronze.[6] Hansen won 19 international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships. He also coached high school basketball and volleyball. Rick had a very close relationship with his family, especially with his father and grandfather, with whom he enjoyed frequent fishing trips.
Source: Wikipedia
Image Source: winnipegfreepress.com
