Rick Hansen, who made headlines 25 years ago when he travelled around the world in his wheelchair, will be coming to Revelstoke in April 2012 as part of the Rich Hansen 25th anniversary relay.
“We are honoured to have Revelstoke a part of the 25th Anniversary Relay” said Hansen, president and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation. “I received so much encouragement and support when I wheeled through Revelstoke 25 years ago, it’s truly inspiring to encourage a new generation to pursue their dreams.”
Hansen made headlines in 1985 when he rolled his wheelchair out of Vancouver to begin his 40,000 km, 34-country Man in Motion world tour. It took two years to complete, during which he raised more than $26 million for spinal cord injury research. Hansen, 53, was paralyzed from the waist-down in a car crash when he was 15-years-old.
He visited Revelstoke on April 16, 1987, with only 1,048 kilometres left on his journey. According to a report in the Revelstoke Review, hundreds of Revelstokians, including mayor Geoff Battersby, came out to greet him and more than $9,000 was raised. He was escorted to Grizzly Plaza by the Revelstoke Secondary School track team before embarking on the ascent to Rogers Pass, escorted out of Revelstoke by an entourage of runners.
“Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t go on to reach your goals and dreams in life,” Hansen told the crowd at the time.
The 25th anniversary tour will re-trace the 12,000-kilometre long Canadian segment of the Man in Motion journey.
