Rick Hansen, also
known to the world as the "Man In Motion", made a major impact on the
life of a teenage girl, namely me. I was a trained lifeguard and always
feared the consequences of individuals that did not think before leaping
into unknown waters. So many spinal injuries changing people's lives
forever made me want to work to increase the knowledge of these terrible,
but often preventable injuries. My chance came when Rick Hansen's campaign
came to my High School; this was my chance to help raise money and awareness
for spinal cord injury and research.
To understand Rick Hansen, you have to know that he was always an active
kid and loved to fish. When returning from a fishing expedition, Rick
successfully hitchhiked, but there was a cost. The truck that he was
riding in was involved in a roll-over accident. Rick had been riding
in the box of the truck and suffered injuries to his spine. This young
man awoke to find that he had lost the use of his legs. The terror,
fear and pain that he must have experienced is much the same for others
that have lost the use of their legs due to an accident.
Rick eventually overcame the negative feelings associated with losing
his ability to walk and run and with intensive physical rehabilitation
he began to compete in wheelchair sports. What made this individual
truly special was his desire to raise awareness and money for spinal
cord research. Rick was the second Canadian to go across Canada for
a medical cause. Terry Fox, suffering from Cancer, ran across Canada
to raise money for Cancer awareness and research. Rick Hansen was determined
to bring recognition to the realities of spinal cord injuries and decided
that he would raise funds and awareness by wheeling his way around the
world. His tour took him through 34 countries around the world between
1985 and 1987, where he actually wheeled 24,901.55 miles, which is equivalent
to the distance around the world, in his Man of Motion World Tour.
Weather and terrain often provided challenges for Rick, but he continued
to push himself to complete the trip. He would succeed. My parents and
I were returning from visiting my sister in Trail, British Columbia
when we were asked to pull to the side of the road. Mom joked that maybe
it was because Rick Hansen was coming through the mountain pass, we
all laughed. Standing on the roadside we watched with amazement as Rick
Hansen rolled his way up the mountain and past where we were standing.
It was simply overwhelming for me and I couldn't say a thing, but at
least mom was able to say "way to go". I saw his strong muscles in his
arms thrusting the wheel chair forward, the smile of determination on
his face. It was an experience that I will never forget for as long
as I live.
Rick Hansen amazed me by his sheer determination to navigate the steep
slopes of the Rocky Mountains. I'm sure that many would think he would
just be driven up and down the mountains in a van, but that was not
Rick's plan. He would wheel himself until he reached his destination.
"Never Give Up On Your Dreams" was his motto and he hasn't given up
yet. He completed his world tour raising $24 million from Canadian supporters.
He continues to work to increase knowledge of spinal cord injury and
research at the Rick Hansen Institute at the University of British Columbia.
If you have the chance read his story entitled " Rick Hansen: Man In
Motion", it will be well worth your time and energy. He is a true Canadian
Hero that can transcend the borders of countries to show what determination
can accomplish.
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