Inspiration Behind The World Tour
- Rick Hansen
Rick Hansen is an adventurer at heart. As a young boy, he hiked, climbed, fished and engaged in adventures all day long. He dreamed of going on a great adventure one day and even toyed with the idea of cycling around the world with a few friends.
Losing the use of his legs at 15 forced him to reframe what kinds of adventures were possible; it also opened his eyes to how differently society treated you - most people saw his injury before they saw him.
Following his injury, this made Rick all the more grateful for the acceptance, support and guidance he received from people close to him: his mentor Stan Stronge, his coach Tim Frick, the love of his life Amanda Reid, and his good friend Terry Fox. They inspired him to “dream big” again, and to focus his dreams on making a difference in others’ lives.
The Man In Motion World Tour was a big dream that took shape gradually over a number of years. Little more than a fantasy at first, the idea of a Tour progressed along with Rick’s athletic career. The more success he had as an athlete, the more he believed he could actually wheel around the world. The more he believed in himself, the more he traveled internationally. And everywhere he went, he saw people with disabilities being marginalized. He knew that someone had to do something to show the world what an incredible waste of human potential this was. He decided to be that someone.
And so planning for the Tour began in earnest. He assembled a team, secured the necessary equipment and sought out expert advice, but it wasn’t until he held a press conference in the winter of 1984/85 that the dream became “real” for Rick. He was now fully, publicly committed to a great adventure that would change lives and make history…if he was successful.
