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Trail Blazers: The day the “Man in Motion” came to town

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives
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Rick Hanson of Port Alberni, made a visit to Trail and Rossland in May of 1987, during his historic “Man in Motion” worldwide tour.

Starting in March of 1985 and ending in May of 1987, the “Man in Motion” world tour took Hanson and his team to 34 different countries, covering up to 40,000 kilometers and raising $26 million dollars for SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) research.

The goal of the tour was to raise awareness and money for people living with disabilities.

Hanson himself was injured at 15 and sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia.

This fantastic shot that ran in the Trail Times shows Hanson and his team struggling up the formidable Rossland hill from Trail.

At the time, Hanson was 34 years old and on the home-stretch of his incredible journey.

Today, Hanson is still advocating for people living with disabilities worldwide.

He is 64 years old.

The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), established in 1988, is part of the “Man in Motion” legacy. For over three decades, RHF has raised awareness, changed attitudes and funded spinal cord injury research and care.

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Sheri Regnier

About the Author: Sheri Regnier

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