Richard Marvin Hansen (born August 26, 1957) is a Canadian

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete (

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...

and Olympic Games), activist, and philanthropist for people with disabilities. When Rick was 15, he was riding in the back of a pickup truck after a fishing trip with his friend, when the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled over. Hansen was trapped on the inside of the roll and thrown to the ground, along with the equipment from the truck. As a result of the crash, Hansen broke his back, sustained a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the waist down. Hansen is most famous for his Man In Motion World Tour, in which he circled the globe in a wheelchair to demonstrate the potential of people with disabilities if barriers were removed and to raise money to support the removal of additional barriers for people with disabilities in the future. He was inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...

in 2006.Rick Hansen
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 3, 2021. He was one of the final torchbearers in the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

and the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

. He was profiled and spoke during the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony. ''CTV News Special: Rick Hansen: Unbreakable 50 Years Later'' aired on Dec 2, 2023 featuring interviews with Hansen and Sandie Rinaldo, along with exclusive footage of Hansen returning to the site of the accident in Williams Lake for the first time. The event marked 50 years since he sustained his spinal cord injury.

Early life

Born in

Port Alberni, British Columbia Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. Port Alberni currently has a total popul ...

in 1957, Rick Hansen grew up in

Williams Lake, British Columbia Williams Lake is a city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, in the central part of a region known as the Cariboo. Williams Lake is one of the largest cites, by population of metropolitan area, in the Cariboo after neighbouring Quesnel ...

. He had an active childhood, where he played volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball. He often spent time outdoors with his father and grandfather who took him fishing. On June 27, 1973, Hansen and a friend were coming back from a fishing trip and riding in the back of a

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

when the driver lost control of the vehicle and rolled. The impact threw Hansen and his friend from the vehicle, resulting in a spinal injury that left Hansen paralyzed from the waist down. He worked on rehabilitation, completed high school, and in 1976 he enrolled at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

, and became the first student with a physical disability to graduate with a bachelor's degree in

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

in 1986 from the university. Hansen won national championships on wheelchair volleyball and

wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is a style of basketball played using a sports wheelchair. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ...

teams. In 1977, Hansen recruited Terry Fox to join the Vancouver Cable Cars to play on their wheelchair basketball team. The two became good friends. Hansen went on to become a world-class champion wheelchair marathoner and

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...

athlete. He competed in wheelchair racing, winning a total of six medals: three gold, two silver, and one bronze. Hansen won 19 international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships. He also coached high school basketball and volleyball. Hansen had a very close relationship with his family, especially with his brother, father and grandfather, with whom he enjoyed frequent fishing trips.

Man in Motion World Tour

In 1980, fellow British Columbian and Canadian athlete

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for can ...

, who had lost a leg to bone

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

, undertook the

Marathon of Hope Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for can ...

, intending to run across Canada from

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

to raise awareness for cancer research. He made it from St. John's, Newfoundland to

Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

before a cancer recurrence forced him to stop, about halfway through his journey. Inspired by the way Canadians decided to reframe disability by Fox's demonstration of ability, Hansen decided he also wanted to make a difference by applying his athletic talent on his Man In Motion World Tour to demonstrate the potential of people with disabilities if barriers were removed and to inspire a more accessible world. Rick Hansen

He embarked on his Man In Motion World Tour on March 21, 1985, from Oakridge Mall in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. 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 A country is a distinct part of the Earth, world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, List of states with limited r ...

on four

continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...

s (

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

, and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

) before crossing

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. One of the highlights of the Tour was wheeling up the Great Wall of China. His highest summit was in the

Swiss Alps The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...

at 5,577 ft (1700 metres). Each wheeling day, he

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

d 12 to 14 hours of wheeling and 85 km a day. He returned to Vancouver's

BC Place Stadium BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a Crown corporation of the province. The venue is currently t ...

to cheering crowds of 50,000 well-wishers on May 22, 1987. Hansen and his team raised $26 million for the removal of barriers for people with disabilities. The Tour also helped to change the way people with disabilities are perceived. On May 22, 2017, Rick Hansen donated one of his well-used gloves from the Tour to the Canadian Museum of History. The glove is on display in the Museum's signature exhibition, the Canadian History Hall, alongside an image from Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour visit to the Great Wall of China in April 1986. On May 17, 2020, the Canadian Museum of History announced the acquisition of the Rick Hansen Man In Motion World Tour Collection. Spanning Hansen's early athletic career and life on Tour, the collection includes 1,700 artifacts and thousands of behind-the-scenes videos, photographs and documents. The collection was donated by Rick Hansen. The Rick Hansen Gallery located in the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum features a small selection of memorabilia from Hansen's Tour including one of his wheelchairs, competitive wheelchair marathon medals and video footage. The song " St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" was inspired by Rick Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour, and written by Canadian record producer and composer

David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...

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.

Post-tour career

Rick Hansen arrives with Olympic flame at 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Hansen is the founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation, which has generated more than $394 million to heighten awareness, change attitudes and advance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Rick Hansen Foundation

The Rick Hansen Foundation was established in 1988, as a legacy to Rick Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour to continue raising funds and awareness to create a world without barriers for people with disabilities. For over 35 years, the Foundation has been actively improving the lives of people with disabilities, changing perceptions and breaking down barriers. The vision of the organization is to create an inclusive world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential. Through programs, collaboration and leadership, the Foundation continues to remove both physical and attitudinal barriers, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, which include the cure and care of people living with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The Foundation operates two major programs. The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program educates and empowers youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to become accessibility and inclusion champions. The Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program provides a range of accessibility training courses, and rates and certifies sites on their level of meaningful accessibility for people of varying abilities. Every year, starting on the last Sunday in May, Canadians celebrate National AccessAbility Week (NAAW). Founded as “National Access Awareness Week" in 1988, and inspired by Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour, this week is an opportunity to celebrate Canadians with disabilities and raise awareness of the critical need for accessibility and inclusion in communities and workplaces. During 2011 and 2012, the Foundation was also part of a cross-Canada tour called the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay that followed the same route as Hansen's original Man In Motion Tour, roughly 25 years after it began.

Spinal cord injury research

Hansen was noted as "the driving force" in the development of the 48 million dollars raised for the International Collaboration of Repair Discoveries (ICORD), an interdisciplinary research centre focused on spinal cord injury. ICORD also maintains the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry, allowing doctors and experts across the country to share vital information on what works and what doesn't for specific kinds of spinal cord injuries. ICORD is located inside the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, which is also home to the Brenda and David McLean Integrated Spine Clinic, which provides one-stop outpatient care for people with spinal cord injuries or diseases of the spine, as well as the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute (formerly the Rick Hansen Institute). The building integrates both SCI research with care.

Other initiatives

Hansen is a supporter of the conservation of Fraser River White

sturgeon Sturgeon (from Old English ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European *''str̥(Hx)yón''-) is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the ...

and Pacific Salmon. He has served as chair for the Founding Chair of both Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) and the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society, helping to restore and protect sturgeon and salmon populations in British Columbia. Hansen contributed to the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society with the money earned from the book ''Tale of the Great White Fish''. He continues to support the FRSCS and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Professional background

*Founder, Rick Hansen Foundation (2018–present) *President and CEO, Rick Hansen Foundation (1997–2018) *Consultant on Disability Issues to the President, University of British Columbia (1989–1991) *Commissioner General to Canada Pavilion at World Exposition '88 in Brisbane, Australia (1987–1988)

Awards and honours

* Professional Sports Achievement Award, Pan Am Clinic Foundation (2018) * Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year Award, Jewish Community Centre (2017) * Senate 150th Anniversary Medal, The Senate (2017) * Social Impact Award, Doha GOAL Foundation (2015) * Recognition of Achievement Award, Excellence Canada (2013) * Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) T1 * Recipient of CPA Alberta's Christopher Reeve Award (2007) *

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...

(2007) * William Van Horne Visionary Award, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (2006) * Induction into

(2006) * Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal, Governor General of Canada (2002) T2 * Athlete of the Century, BC Wheelchair Sports (2000) * Royal Bank Award (1994) * University of British Columbia Athletic Hall of Fame (1994) * Terry Fox Hall of Fame (1993) * 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, Governor General of Canada (1992) * Order of British Columbia (1990) * Freedom of the City Award, City of Vancouver (1987) * W.A.C. Bennett Award, BC Sports Hall of Fame (1987) * Newsmaker of the Year, Canadian Press (1986) * Outstanding Young Person of the World for personal improvement and accomplishment by

Junior Chamber International Junior Chamber International, commonly referred to as JCI, is a non-profit international non-governmental organization of young people between and years old. It has members in about 127 countries, and regional or national organizations in mo ...

(1983) * University of British Columbia's Alumni Award of Distinction (1983) * Athlete of the Week: by ABC Wide World of Sports (1983) * Lou Marsh Trophy, auxiliary award of special merit winner – co-winner with Wayne Gretzky(1982) * Special Achievement Award, University of British Columbia (1979–1982) * "Outstanding Athlete of the Year," by Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (1980) * Newsmaker of the Year by Canadian Press (1986) * UBC Sports Hall of Fame * People in Motion, a not-for-profit organization was named after Hansen * Four public schools have been named after Hansen: ** Rick Hansen Secondary School,

Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the most populous municipality in the province outside metropol ...

** Rick Hansen Secondary School,

Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

** Rick Hansen Elementary School,

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

** Rick Hansen Public School,

Aurora, Ontario Aurora ( 2021 population: 62,057) is a town in central York Region in the Greater Toronto Area, within the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the City of Richmond Hill and is partially situated on the Oak Ridge ...

Order of Canada

Hansen was appointed a Companion of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

on June 29, 1987. His citation reads:

Already a world-renowned wheelchair athlete, this British Columbian fulfilled a dream of wheeling around the world to make others aware of the potential of the disabled and to raise funds for spinal cord research among other things. His 44,075 km. journey, recently completed, took him to four continents and 34 countries, inspiring people around the world to realize their potential and raising many millions of dollars for the cause.

Honorary appointments

* Honorary Director, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (2002) * Honorary Board member, Think First Foundation (1998–2000) * Honorary Chair, Brain and Spinal Cord Research Centre Campaign, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (1995) * Honorary Patron, B.C. Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (1995–Present) * Honorary Chair, Grey Cup Festival (1994) * Honorary Chair, Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (1990–Present) * Honorary Chair, Alberta Premier's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities (1989–Present) * Honorary Chair, BC Premier's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities (1989–Present) Hansen was named Commissioner General for the Canadian Pavilion at

Expo '88 World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised World Expo, Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia.

Township named after Hansen

In 1986, a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Sudbury District, Ontario The Sudbury District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1894 from townships of eastern Algoma District and west Nipissing District. In 1973, the Regional Municipality of Sudbury was cre ...

, previously named the Geographical Township of

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

, altered its name to the Township of Hansen in the athlete's honour. It is now within the boundary of the municipality of

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

Books

In 2017, Hansen collaborated with Jake MacDonald on ''Rick Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour,'' a book celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tour. He is also the co-author of two books: the autobiographical ''Rick Hansen: Man in Motion'', written with Jim Taylor (published in 1987, ), and the self-help book ''Going the Distance: 7 steps to personal change'', written with Dr. Joan Laub. Hansen is also the inspiration for four children's books'', Boy in Motion, Roll On, Tale of a Great White Fish: A Sturgeon Story'' and ''The Boy Who Loved to Move.''

Personal life

Hansen and his wife Amanda Reid first met during his Man in Motion World Tour as she was his physiotherapist. They married in 1987 and have three daughters and grandchildren.Rick's Life Passions
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Honours

Commonwealth honours

Scholastic

; Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships ; Honorary Degrees

Honorary military appointments

References

External links

Learn more about Rick Hansen and the Rick Hansen Foundation at www.rickhansen.com. * – Rick Hansen Foundation
CBC Digital Archives – Rick Hansen: Man In Motion
*
Praxis Spinal Cord Institute
– Previously the Rick Hansen Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Rick 1957 births Activists from British Columbia Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Paralympics Canadian activists with disabilities Canadian Disability Hall of Fame Canadian disability rights activists Canadian male wheelchair racers Canadian people of Norwegian descent Canadian philanthropists Canadian wheelchair users Companions of the Order of Canada Living people Northern Star Award winners Medalists at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Paralympics Members of the Order of British Columbia Paralympic bronze medalists for Canada Paralympic gold medalists for Canada Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Paralympic silver medalists for Canada Paralympic track and field athletes for Canada Sportspeople from Port Alberni People with paraplegia Track and field athletes from British Columbia University of British Columbia Faculty of Education alumni Wheelchair racers at the 1984 Summer Olympics