Rick Hansen

2015 Golden Oak nominee

A biography for young readers of activist Rick Hansen.

Rick Hansen suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 15 after a car accident. But it didn't stop him - during the 1980s he was active in the Paralympics as a wheelchair basketball player. He became inspired by Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope and when Terry Fox was forced to end his run across Canada prematurely, Rick Hansen made a vow to carry on. This vow became the "Man in Motion" tour. Rick circumnavigated the globe in his wheelchair raising awareness and money for spinal cord research. It was a 26 month trek across 4 continents and 34 countries. Rick's activism and the foundation he created after the tour continue to this day.