No excuses: Rick Hansen - people on the move

World Tour - the most difficult and exciting adventure that you can imagine. Circumnavigate the Earth in a large circle, travel thousands of kilometers, to stand under the scorching sun and torrential rain - is on forces far not for everyone.

Ferdinand Magellan made the first voyage around the world. The first woman to do so - Jeanne Barre. Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern - the first Russian krugosvetchik. Joshua Slocum was the first man who had committed a single circumnavigation.

This list of "first" is not enough of another name. Rick Hansen - the first man to travel the world in a wheelchair.

Caught a fish…

Richard Marvin Hansen (Richard Marvin Hansen) was born August 26, 1957, in Port Alberni (British Columbia, Canada). He spent his childhood in the small town of Fort St. John, picturesque setting with several lakes and rivers.

Richard grew up very active child, his favorite pastime was sports, especially volleyball, and fishing. Even then he wanted to travel around the world on a bicycle.

When Rick was 15, he and his friends went on a fishing trip. It is unknown how the boys fished, but they are clearly a goldfish caught... June 27, 1973, Rick and his friend Don Alder (Don Alder) returned home from a fishing trip. Hit. And they fly through the rear window of a pickup somewhere into the unknown.

For Rick, this uncertainty turned severe trauma of the spine, paralysis of the lower extremities and loss of sensation from the waist to toe. Plane crash turned the life of a teenager upside down. Instead of school, Rick was in Vancouver a rehabilitation center.

Rehabilitation lasted seven long months, but it was clearly a success. No, Richard, alas, did not get up on his feet, but he realized that, despite this, it can not be no excuses. Returning home, he first went to his coach in volleyball with audacious intention to continue training. In addition, Rick began to play table tennis, and so successfully that won the gold medal in the Pacific Northwest Games for people with disabilities.

Oh, sports, you - the life!

In 1976 Rick entered the University of British Columbia (University of British Columbia) at the Faculty of Arts... Athlete-art? You are right, more than a strange combination. But the choice of Hansen was not - at the Faculty of Physical Culture was not accepted.

Rick first thing is not recorded in the library, and the university basketball team, "Vancouver trams." A little later, he met with the legendary Terry Fox. They became friends. Terry and Rick were united by the idea that sport can break the attitude towards people with disabilities, and people with disabilities themselves in a new way to look at your body and your life.

To prove this, Rick took part in the "Rikatone" - a 32-kilometer marathon, the purpose of which was to collect money to help parasportsmenam. At the same time Hansen showed himself well in basketball, volleyball and other sports. So well that the management of the university, where he studied, could not fail to notice this - in 1977, Rick was transferred to the Faculty physical education, and a few years later he became the first graduate in physical education at the wheelchair chair.

During study Rica three times awarded the title of "Best Athlete with a disability" - in 1979, in 1980 and 1982. In 1980 he took the gold, silver and bronze medals at the Paralympics in the Dutch Arnhem. In 1982, he represented Canada at the Pan American Games for people with disabilities. There Hansen set eight world records. In the same year Rick has participated in the Boston Marathon (by the way, for his career, he has won 19 international marathons). In 1984 - again and again Paralympics silver and gold.

Man on the move

For myself, Rick has proven that sport - is life, could only show to people around the world that people with disabilities do not need an excuse, but they need the support. To draw attention to the problems of people with disabilities and to raise funds (10 million. dollars) to study spinal cord disease, Hansen decided to incredible adventure.

March 21, 1985 Rick Hansen went on a world tour titled "Man in Motion» (Man In Motion World Tour). Many twisted at a temple - it's crazy. But Richard was the purpose of:

"I hope that people will respect and not with condescension, to treat people with disabilities, and will see what they can do, not something that they are unable to."

26 months, 40 074 km, 4 continents, 34 countries, 85 kilometers per day, 30,000 beats rim wheelchair every day, overcoming himself and bad weather.

From Vancouver in the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, New Zealand, Australia, the Far East and America once again, Miami, New York and finally Vancouver. May 22, 1987 thousands of citizens poured into the streets to meet the hero.

Circumnavigation Rick Hansen - an unprecedented journey into the book Guinness World Records and show the world that people with disabilities, despite the difficulty of his position, not looking no excuses.

Rick Hansen Foundation

During the tour, 26 million dollars have been collected. This money is Rick Hansen passed for scientific research in the area of ​​the spinal cord. In addition, he created a charitable foundation, which today is one of the most influential charities in Canada, - Rick Hansen Foundation.

He was awarded the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia. His exploits on Vancouver stadium "Rogers Arena" a monument.

Rick continues to engage in social activities, helping the disabled and to invest in the study of spinal disorders. In 2010, he, like Sam SullivanIt was the torchbearer of the Olympic Games. In the same year, Rick and his team have begun large-scale celebration of the 25th anniversary tour "Man in Motion". Hansen hopes that his record will sooner or later be broken, the world will become more open and any person in spite of his state of health, will be able to go round the world trip.

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