Hansen Rick - Roll on: Rick Hansen wheels around the world

Rick and Terry Fox became friends when they played wheelchair basketball together. Terry died in 1981 after raising awareness and money for cancer research on his cross-Canada Marathon of Hope. His friendship and bravery inspired Ricks Man in Motion World Tour.

Rick carried a small statue of Terry in the motor home. When he felt like giving up, he would look at the statue and remind himself that Terry would never quit. Then hed get
back on the road and push, push, push a little farther.

Early in the tour, Rick was given an unusual gifta song! The songwriters had been inspired by a video of Rick wheeling. Although it was really the theme song for a movie, it became the official song of the Man in Motion World Tour.

Rick and his team sang it often. It lifted their spirits and spurred them on. The tune was catchy, and the song became popular around the world.

Gonna be your man in motion.
All I need is a pair of wheels.

During the Man in Motion World Tour:

2 birthdays were celebrated by Rick (his 28th and his 29th)

4 robberies took place (and none was solved!)

94 pairs of wheeling gloves were ruined

126 flat tires had to be changed on the motor home

160 wheelchair tires wore out

730 trips were made to laundromats

2,172 postcards were written home

40,075 kilometres were wheeled

And Rick pushed an estimated 10,000,000 strokes!

When Rick was in hospital, physiotherapists taught him exercises and helped him to get up and start wheeling. Later, during his World Tour, Rick worked his body so hard he needed physiotherapy up to three times a day to keep his muscles and joints healthy.

Amanda Reid was Ricks physiotherapist. On the way home, in New Brunswick, Amanda and Rick got engaged. They were married when the tour was over. They live in Richmond, B.C., and have three daughters.

Ricks Man in Motion World Tour visited 34 countries. The tour took 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days. It raised awareness of what people with disabilities can do. The tour also raised more than $26 million for spinal cord research, rehabilitation, and wheelchair sports.