Rick Hansen

Rick Hansen was born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, and was raised in Williams Lake. Rick was a very athletic teen who loved to fish. He was only fifteen when a car crash made him unable to walk for the rest of his life. Rick now lives in Richmond, B.C., with his wife and three daughters. He still enjoys fishing, along with pilates, tennis, and sit skiing.

When Rick became paraplegic he didn't give up in sports. Instead he persevered, becoming the first student to graduate in Physical Education at the University of B.C. with a physical disability. Rick didn't stop there. He won nineteen international wheelchair marathons! Rick also competed for Canada in the 1984 Olympics.

Rick Hansen's accomplishments are very inspiring. He spent over two years wheelchairing around the world!(40 000 km) He then organized the Rick Hansen Man In Motion Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute. These organizations have raised over $148 000 000 in support of spinal cord injury.

Rick Hansen is very dedicated to aiding the disabled. Rick spent ten years developing wheelchair sports and awareness in Canada by touring schools and guest lecturing at sports banquets, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. Rick also led the Commission for the Inclusion of Athletes with Disabilities, which obtained full medal status for the disabled in the Commonwealth Games (starting in 2006.) They are now trying to obtain full medal status for disabled athletes in the Olympic games. Rick's contributions to the community seem almost never ending. He coached many sports teams, including able-bodied volley ball and basketball, wheelchair volleyball, and youth development groups.

Rick Hansen never gave up. He is a phenomenal athlete who has inspired us by wheelchairing around the world and raising millions of dollars for charity. He has proved to us that dedication, perseverance, and courage can make anything possible.