This beaded belt is one of the many gifts and tributes Canadians made for Rick Hansen in advance of his arrival in a community. This painting of Rick Hansen was given to the Loiselle family after the Tour passed through Halifax in When Hansen returned to Halifax in for the 25th anniversary of the Tour, the Loiselles gave him this gift and shared the story.
Tour organizers and volunteers worked hard to organize fundraising events in each town Hansen visited. Sometimes, however, fans took matters into their own hands. These custom beer koozies were made to raise money for the Tour. They sold VERY well. Put it around pop cans or beer. You did an awesome job Rick. Lots of Love. This commemorative plate was presented to Rick Hansen during his trip through China.
Hansen received a great deal of positive attention in China, helping to raise even greater awareness of the Tour around the world. Amanda Reid Hansen remembers that people were fascinated by Rick, because he was a Canadian, and because he was in a wheelchair. Citizens lined the streets for a glimpse of the Tour, and presented Hansen with flowers and other tributes. In China, Hansen realized one of his dreams, which was to wheel along the Great Wall.
In August , the song went gold in Canada. Atlantic Records presented Rick Hansen with this commemorative record to mark the achievement. For Hansen, the success of the song was, at times, surreal. Inspired by the Tour, the City of North Vancouver decided to double its number of wheelchair ramps in His message of accessibility for all was simple but powerful.
As a teenager, Hansen excelled at sports and received athlete-of-the-year honours at his high school in Williams Lake in when he was 15 years old. He was planning on trying out for the provincial volleyball team later that year.
But an accident changed everything. Late in June, Rick and his friend Don Alder went on a week-long fishing trip. The boys got a ride in the back of a pickup truck, but the driver had been drinking beer and lost control. He eventually drove off the side of the road and rolled his truck. While Don was thrown clear, Rick landed on a big steel toolbox, breaking his back and damaging his spinal cord.
Rick was left a paraplegic after the accident. Paralyzed from the waist down, he spent the next seven months in rehabilitation in Vancouver before returning home to Williams Lake.
The transition was tough. While his father had the basement renovated so Hansen could have his own room and bathroom, it was very difficult for Rick to travel in his wheelchair in the town itself. People thought my life was over.
Worse yet, so did I. Not long after returning to Williams Lake, Hansen was invited to attend a high school volleyball practice by his former coach, Bob Redford, who asked him to assess the players. However, watching his old team was too upsetting for Hansen, and he soon left.
In the spring of , year-old Hansen met Stan Stronge, a leading para-athlete who co-founded the Canadian Wheelchair Sports and Recreation Association in Stronge encouraged Hansen to compete in table tennis at the Pacific Northwest Games for the Disabled in Seattle, where he won the gold medal.
Although he wanted to study physical education , his application was denied and he enrolled in the Faculty of Arts instead. However, the admissions department reconsidered his request the following year and allowed him to study physical education. In , Hansen became the first person with a physical disability to earn a physical education degree from UBC. In addition to his studies at UBC , Hansen participated in a number of wheelchair sports, including volleyball and basketball.
Hero September Hero December Back to top. Stay in Touch Receive Foundation emails to stay up-to-date on our impact and programs. Hero Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. Learn more. Hero When Rick set out to wheel around the world in , he had two missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, and to raise funds for Spinal Cord Injury research.
Read more. Hero Have your site rated and certified for meaningful access for people with physical disabilities. Make your community more welcoming and inclusive for all! Get Started. Hero Receive free educational resources that teach youth about the importance of access and inclusion. Hero Browse the latest stories about access and inclusion from Rick and our team of bloggers.
0コメント