Twenty-five years after completing the Man in Motion World Tour, Rick Hansen still has the power to put people's wheels in motion.
On Monday the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay reached Prince George on its cross-country route, recreating the Canadian stretch of Hansen's 40,000 km journey around the world. Local, "difference makers," were given the opportunity to run, wheel and walk sections of the relay through downtown, including RCMP Cst. Julie Champagne who has overcome personal tragedy and illness to serve her community.
In a presentation at UNBC on Monday, Hansen said the cause which launched his Man in Motion World Tour is still as essential today as it was in the 1980s.
"This is halfway in the ultramarathon of social change, so let's keep going. Our best work is still ahead," Hansen said. "I believe one day, the wheelchair will be something you see in a museum."
The Rick Hansen Foundation has raised approximately $245 million for research on treating spinal cord injuries. In addition, through the Man in Motion World Tour and the Rick Hansen Foundation Hansen has worked to break down the barriers for people living with disabilities.
There is still need to research and improved standardization of treatment for people with spinal cord injuries, Hansen said.
"I truly believe that the newly-injured in 25 years will have a chance to walk," he said.
Hansen also encouraged those in attendance at the standing-room-only presentation to follow their passion and work toward making a positive difference.
"It's not what happens to you, it's what you do with it that counts," Hansen said. "There are no walls to big in life."
The relay began on Aug. 24 in Cape Spear, Nfld. and will conclude in Vancouver on May 22.
