Richard Marvin Hansen was born on August 26,1957 and is a Canadian track and field athlete, activist, and philanthropist for people with disabilities.
23 Facts About Rick Hansen
2.
Rick Hansen is most famous for his Man in Motion World Tour, in which he circled the globe in a wheelchair to raise funds for charity.
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Rick Hansen was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
4.
Rick Hansen was one of the final torchbearers in the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Rick Hansen was profiled and spoke during the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony.
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Rick Hansen had an active childhood, where he played volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball.
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Rick Hansen often spent time outdoors with his father and grandfather who took him fishing.
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Rick Hansen worked on rehabilitation, completed high school, and became the first student with a physical disability to graduate in physical education from the University of British Columbia.
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Rick Hansen won national championships on wheelchair volleyball and wheelchair basketball teams.
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Rick Hansen went on to become a world class champion wheelchair marathoner and Paralympic athlete.
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Rick Hansen 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.
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Rick Hansen won 19 international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships.
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Rick Hansen had a very close relationship with his family, especially with his father and grandfather, with whom he enjoyed frequent fishing trips.
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Rick Hansen made it from St John's, Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario before a cancer recurrence forced him to stop, about halfway through his journey.
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Rick Hansen embarked on his Man in Motion World Tour on March 21,1985, from Oakridge Mall in Vancouver.
16.
Rick Hansen was noted as "the driving force" in the development of the 48 million dollars raised for the International Collaboration of Repair Discoveries, an information network designed to track and record "best practices" in spinal cord treatment across the country and internationally.
17.
Rick Hansen contributed to the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society with the money earned from the book Tale of the Great White Fish.
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In 2017, WE Charity and the Rick Hansen Foundation launched a joint venture to advocate for increased accessibility throughout Canada.
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Rick Hansen has made several on stage appearances at WE Day events, speaking in front of thousands of students about overcoming disabilities and inspiring others to be active in their communities.
20.
Rick Hansen helped WE develop ideas for improved accessibility to their Global Learning Centre in Toronto, which was inaugurated during the same year.
21.
Rick Hansen earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1986 from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
22.
Rick Hansen was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada on June 29,1987.
23.
Rick Hansen was named Commissioner General for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo '88 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.