The Outcome
Looking back, the greatest impact of the Tour was and always will be the human side of the mission, which was to inspire people as to the potential of people with disabilities – to cause people to think differently about what was possible for anyone when barriers are removed, attitudinal or physical. - Rick Hansen
When Rick and his team set out on the Man In Motion World Tour in March of 1985, they had no idea what lay ahead. Armed only with optimism and a desire to make a difference, they aimed to prove once and for all that anything is possible for people with disabilities when barriers are removed.
One sage advisor urged them to set a financial goal as well – after all, there were bound to be people along the way that wanted to help. They decided they’d try for $10 million. It seemed a very ambitious number at the time.
Over the next two years two months and two days, the team received many warm welcomes but they also passed through many places that lent no support whatsoever. Through sheer determination and with great courage, Rick wheeled on and the team stuck with him.
The ups and downs ceased for good when they returned to Canada: everywhere they went in their home country, they received a hero’s welcome. Thousands lined the streets in communities from Newfoundland to BC and, in town after town, Rick and the team were thrilled to discover that their fellow Canadians had heard the call: wheelchair ramps were already being built; barriers were being removed!
By the time they concluded the Tour in Vancouver, people the world over had been inspired to believe in Rick’s dream.
In the final analysis, the Tour did much more than raise awareness; it caused a profound shift in the collective consciousness toward a belief in the potential of people with disabilities and raised an astonishing $26 million for SCI research, rehabilitation and sport.
25 Years Later…
Rick has never stopped working to improve lives and advance research. He established the Rick Hansen Man In Motion Foundation following the Tour to administer the $26 million raised and ensure that it would have maximum impact. He has been successful: over the past 25 years, the Foundation has had an impact of $200 million in the field of SCI. People injured today have a better chance of walking away than ever before and have many more opportunities to achieve their full potential. Despite these extraordinary accomplishments, Rick believes that his best work is still in front of him.
One sage advisor urged them to set a financial goal as well – after all, there were bound to be people along the way that wanted to help. They decided they’d try for $10 million. It seemed a very ambitious number at the time.
Over the next two years two months and two days, the team received many warm welcomes but they also passed through many places that lent no support whatsoever. Through sheer determination and with great courage, Rick wheeled on and the team stuck with him.
The ups and downs ceased for good when they returned to Canada: everywhere they went in their home country, they received a hero’s welcome. Thousands lined the streets in communities from Newfoundland to BC and, in town after town, Rick and the team were thrilled to discover that their fellow Canadians had heard the call: wheelchair ramps were already being built; barriers were being removed!
By the time they concluded the Tour in Vancouver, people the world over had been inspired to believe in Rick’s dream.
In the final analysis, the Tour did much more than raise awareness; it caused a profound shift in the collective consciousness toward a belief in the potential of people with disabilities and raised an astonishing $26 million for SCI research, rehabilitation and sport.
25 Years Later…
Rick has never stopped working to improve lives and advance research. He established the Rick Hansen Man In Motion Foundation following the Tour to administer the $26 million raised and ensure that it would have maximum impact. He has been successful: over the past 25 years, the Foundation has had an impact of $200 million in the field of SCI. People injured today have a better chance of walking away than ever before and have many more opportunities to achieve their full potential. Despite these extraordinary accomplishments, Rick believes that his best work is still in front of him.
