From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
Canadian wheelchair athlete and former Paralympian Rick Hansen was named Canada’s top newsmaker of 1986.
Newspaper, television, and radio broadcasters were polled, and Rick was chosen 23-to-1 as the Canadian Press favourite. Rick had beaten out other newsmakers that year including John Turner and Brian Mulroney. Rick said he was flattered and surprised to be considered newsworthy, saying “I started this journey as a messenger and catalyst for good things to happen…I don’t want people to lose focus on the really true objectives of the tour and what I’m doing.” Rick and his journey would prove to be more than deserving of national attention.
Rick Hansen became a paraplegic on June 27, 1973, when he was just 15 years old. Rick had been travelling in the back of a friend’s pick-up truck on the way home from a fishing trip when the driver lost control and hit a tree. Rick was thrown from the box of the truck, and the severe impact resulted in a spinal cord injury that left the teenager without the use of his legs, paralyzed from the waist down.
The tragic accident did not stop Rick from living life to the fullest. An athlete, Rick played wheelchair basketball with his friend Terry Fox before Terry began his iconic Marathon of Hope. Rick described Terry as “a very special friend…the one who inspired me to do this journey.” Terry had lost his leg due to cancer and his marathon inspired many. Terry’s journey raised $23 million in cancer research funds.
Rick was so inspired by his friend that he grew determined to attempt an around-the-world journey. The Man-In-Motion Tour aimed to raise awareness of the potential and abilities of people with disabilities and funds for spinal cord injury research. Rick was 29 when his world tour began in March of 1985. The wheelchair athlete left Oakridge Mall in Vancouver on March 21st. In his own words, Rick described his dream for the tour as being one that would increase the public’s recognition of the abilities of the disabled population: “our dream is to create a much better understanding about the potential for disabled persons…. disability is a relative thing really…. there’s no comparing yourself to other people.”
Nobody knew this better than Rick, and his goal was to cross 4 continents, 34 countries, and to raise $10 million dollars worldwide. Of the hefty goal, Rick said, “…when you’re setting a target this big, going around the world, you have to forget the future and look each day for the rewards.” To fulfill his rewarding ambitions, Rick needed a group to support him. They would need to be willing to give Rick the next couple years of their lives and travel through varying conditions.
The Man-In-Motion team included 8 members, and each played a vital role on the tour. Rick said, “They are every bit as important as I am. I look at it as analogous to a football team. I may be the quarterback but everyone else in the background are protecting me.”
Rick’s team included: Amanda Reid, Rick’s fiancée and physiotherapist; Brian Rose, who handled logistics and planning; Don Alder, who functioned as equipment manager and was also a boyhood friend present at the time of Rick’s injury; Mike Reid, back-up equipment manager, security, and nutrition expert; Simon Cumming, the team’s advance man; Nancy Thompson, Rick’s manager; Mike Pompei, mechanic; and Rico Bondi, supporting team member.
All who joined Rick on his Man-In-Motion tour had left behind jobs, and families to help make Rick’s dream a reality. They believed in him and were dedicated to the goal of fundraising for spinal cord injury research as well as raising awareness of the potential and abilities of people with disabilities. They took turns cooking and cycling alongside Rick.
Brian Rose said of the team’s leader, “He’s very committed to what he’s doing. I’ve met a lot of strong, determined athletes, but I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with the mental determination he (Rick) has.”
Rick wheeled his way through Europe while battling illness. He had climbed the Alps in his chair and after almost two years of wheeling an average of 8 hours a day, or approximately 110 km a day, Rick arrived in Northern Ontario in December of 1986.
Preparation for Rick’s journey through the Canadian winter included the development of a very unique snowsuit. The suit was designed and researched at Simon Fraser University. It was a one-piece suit intended to keep Rick warm and dry at minus 30 degrees C, even with a wind-chill possibly reaching minus 55 degrees C. The snowsuit was tested by volunteer wheelchair athletes using a temperature controlled room and was specially outfitted with a monitoring system to maintain and monitor the temperature of Rick’s lower body. Without feeling from the waist down, hypothermia was a real threat to Rick’s success on the road. The suit and its system were put to the test at the start of the tour, in Washington State, when Rick was pelted with rain and sleet.
Despite proper preparation, Rick had to drop his daily wheeling goal from 110 km to 80 km and continue at a pace that Northern Ontario’s winter weather allowed him to maintain. When Rick reached Parry Sound, he faced snowstorms and ice on the roads. The weather in Ontario would prove to be a challenge for the Man-In-Motion.
Although he spent much of his tour using an ultra-light racing chair, Rick traversed winter roads using a heavy-duty wheelchair that had been equipped with studded tires and chains. Rick’s team of supporters traveled with him in two motorhomes and a four-wheel drive truck, which provided a warming space and supplies when needed. The space proved invaluable as the tour continued north.
As the Man-In-Motion tour made its way north on Highway 17, the team passed 100’s of students outside Iron Bridge, waving blue streamers and holding signs wishing the tour team a Merry Christmas. Rick waved and spoke with many of the children, asking their names and offering handshakes. All 12 children at the Mississauga Reserve Daycare received a personal greeting from Rick. Rick had said, “I concentrate on the people on the road. People come out and respond to the tour and I feel it is my responsibility to make some kind of contact.”
One of the greatest highlights of the tour for Rick was meeting all the cheering children along his route. Team member Rose said, “When Rick goes by a line of kids and there’s one in a wheelchair, he stops and pats him on the shoulder…that marks that (child) as special. You can see all the other children turn and look at him.”
All of Rick’s team members agreed that watching people, especially children, react to the wheelchair athlete’s determination proved that Rick’s work towards changing attitudes about disabled people was effective: “Kids look up to him as a hero.” Genuine interactions with the public are what helped make Rick’s Man-In-Motion the success it was.
Children in the Sault would have their chance to meet the national hero as well when Rick Hansen wheeled into the city on December 17th, 1986. Mayor at the time Joe Fratesi unofficially declared the date to be “Rick Hansen Day.” Upon his arrival, it was planned that Rick would be met outside the easterly city limits by the local running group, The Sault Stryders Club, and then proceed to the Memorial Gardens for a public welcome led by the mayor. Entering the city Rick was met by crowds cheering and clapping, climbing on snowbanks to get a glimpse of the athlete.
City Works had taken special measures to ensure that all the snow from the streets Rick would travel along was cleared. The Man-In-Motion tour entered the Sault via Highway 17 East and proceeded along Trunk Road, where the team then curved right onto Wellington Street East and then on to Pim Street where Rick took a left turn. Rick took a right on Queen Street and wheeled his way west to The Memorial Gardens.
Well-wishers had filled a one-meter square sign, posted at The Station Mall, with greetings and words of encouragement. The sign was presented to Rick at the Gardens. Supporters throughout the city had also made changes in their seasonal light displays to include blue lights. The blue lights, traditionally seen by sailors as a good omen, were intended to further demonstrate support for the tour. The blue lights trend started in other cities; it was seen in Sudbury, and locals here hoped the idea would continue west.
The clients and staff of Algoma Child and Youth Services along with The Sault Star held a campaign collecting Christmas cards and netted a total of 1,300 holiday greetings. The cards were posted between the Sault and Wawa, in yet another attempt to bolster Rick’s spirit and show support to his team. Of the cards Rick said, “I’ve been noticing the Christmas cards on the side of the road. That’s really nice of all of these people.”
The Memorial Gardens had to be properly outfitted because, ironically, the needs of the disabled had not yet been considered at the facility and temporary ramps had to be brought in to even allow Rick access to the building to receive his welcome.
Rick’s visit pointed out other weaknesses in the city’s accessibility too, further exemplifying the athlete’s reason behind his tour.
The ramp at the city’s Civic Centre was deemed far too steep for anyone using a wheelchair to use. It was found that Sault College was lacking in accessibility features, while Algoma University was completely inaccessible to disabled persons. At the time, Syd Attard, the city planner said that while newer buildings in the city conformed to provincial standards, older ones remained inaccessible for the time being.
Local businesses and schools, including Bawating and Holy Family Elementary, joined with volunteer groups to raise money for Rick’s cause. Events for fundraising were planned throughout the city in the days leading up to Ricks’ arrival. A locally organized committee raised money for the tour and the final tally for donations raised in the city was $42,000. The total exceeded the committee’s expectations, and the funds were primarily raised through donations made by individual citizens. There were no corporate donations from the city’s industries. A cheque was presented to Rick during his visit to the Gardens on behalf of the city.
Onlookers at the Gardens were happy to be there and were treated to a taste of Rick’s good humour and hopes. A parent whose 5-year-old daughter had insisted they wake up early to meet Rick at the Gardens said, “I think he’s well worth seeing – he’s got guts!”
As another area resident, reluctant to get out of bed on the early winter morning, dragged herself up to wave at Rick as he climbed the Bruce Street hill on his way out of town, she thought, “…Rick probably gets up at six every morning – the least I can do is get up this morning.” The attitude reflected that of many Sault residents, and the general spirit of the Christmas season.
The Christmas season was unexpectedly celebrated by Rick Hansen and the Man-In-Motion tour team in Wawa that year. On December 21st, Rick arrived in Wawa, intending to rest for two days and set out wheeling again on the 23rd. When Rick left Wawa he had been feeling unwell but was determined to continue on. Rick had wheeled about 10 km that morning before pulling to the side of the highway, asking to warm up in one of the team’s motorhomes. At that time, team member Simon Cumming took Rick’s temperature and with the thermometer reading over 100 degrees, the team decided it was best to have Rick seen by a doctor. A doctor provided a roadside exam and advised that Rick head to the hospital for testing. Results indicated Rick was fighting a bladder infection and would need antibiotics and rest if he was to recuperate and continue his trek.
The tour team spent their Christmas holiday together in Wawa. Although the unplanned rest caused a delay in Rick’s journey, it was not the only illness he had faced. In England, Rick had to take time off the road to deal with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Despite the weather, the travel, and the strain on his body, Rick Hansen proved his fighting spirit by completing his worldwide tour on May 22nd, 1987, with his return to Vancouver. His philosophy regarding his very personal mission was simple: no matter whether the tour was finished or not, the most important part of the journey was giving it everything he had, every day. He truly believed in what he was doing and felt that if he had quit and later realized he had more to give, he wouldn’t have been able to live with the disappointment. Demonstrating his power and perseverance Rick stated, “…you think about the commitment of your life and the team behind you and you’ve just got to talk yourself into it – one more time into the wheelchair, one more kilometre…”
Upon his arrival in Newfoundland for the Canadian leg of his tour, Rick had raised just over $170,000. But by the time he crossed Canada and returned to Vancouver, the Man-In-Motion had raised far more than the goal he had originally set. At the onset of the tour, Rick had hoped to raise $10 million for spinal cord injury research, at the conclusion of his journey Rick had successfully raised $26 million globally.
In late October 1987, Rick took the time to reflect on his Man-In-Motion tour and sent a statement to be published in The Sault Star. Rick said that consistently across Canada he felt incredible support. Of the Sault residents he said, “Your friendship, love and support has meant more to me than words can ever express.” Rick concluded his statement by encouraging all Canadians to retain the dream that one day all disabled people will have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
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