Rick has been honored with a host of accolades since the 1980s. Highlights of his awards and appointments can be found below. For a full list of Rick’s achievements to date, please contact info@rickhansen.com.
Awards
Achievements
Appointments
Honorary Appointments
Memberships
Professional Background
Education
Awards
2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
2006 William Van Horne Visionary Award, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal, Governor General of Canada
2000 Athlete of the Century, British Columbia Wheelchair Sports
1992 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, Governor General of Canada
1992 Order of British Columbia
1987 Companion of the Order of Canada
1987 Freedom of the City Award, City of Vancouver
1987 W.A.C. Bennett Award, British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame
1986 Newsmaker of the Year, Canadian Press
1983 Lou Marsh/Canadian Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award (Co-Winner with Wayne Gretzky)
Achievements
2017 Ambassador, Invictus Games 2017
2017 Contributor, Albert Einstein Foundation’s Genius: 100 Visions of the Future
2015 Final Torchbearer, Parapan Am Games Opening Ceremonies
2015 Final Torchbearer, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Opening Ceremonies
2010 Final Torchbearer, 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremonies
2010 Torchbearer, 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games
2008 The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre was built to house ICORD and the Rick Hansen Institute
2007 Induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame
2007 Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame
2006 Induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
2003 Induction as “Builder” into Canadian Paralympic Association Hall of Fame
1997 RHF induction as “Builder” into Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA)
Hall of Fame
1996 Supported establishment of ICORD
1996-2003 Established five leadership endowments worth $20 million as part of the Rick Hansen Trust at UBC
1988 Final Torchbearer, 1988 Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies (8)
1987 The Rick Hansen Trust Fund at UBC is established
Mar 1985 – May 1987 Established World Record for Longest Wheelchair Marathon (24,901.55 miles or 40,075 kilometres), Guinness Book of World Records
Appointments
1992 Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
1989 Founder and Advisor, National Access Awareness Week, Canada
1988 Commissioner General to Canada Pavilion at Expo ‘88 in Brisbane, Australia
Honorary Appointments
2012 - 2015 Honorary Colonel of the Joint Personnel Unit, Canadian Armed Forces
1989 – Present Honorary Chair, Alberta Premier’s Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities
1989 – 2002 Honorary Chair, BC Premier’s Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities
Memberships
2005 – Present Member, Living Rivers Trust Fund Advisory Board
2000 – 2009 Founding Chair and Member, Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society
1990 – 1997 Chair (1990-1994) and Member (1990-1997) International Paralympic Committee on the Integration of Disabled Athletes (renamed: Commission for the Inclusion of Athletes with Disabilities
1989 – 2004 Member, Board of Directors, Nike Canada
1987 – Present Advisory Panel, Rick Hansen Trust Fund, University of British Columbia
Professional Background
2018 – Present Founder, Rick Hansen Foundation
2014 – 2018 Founder & CEO, Rick Hansen Foundation
2011 Co-Chair, Rick Hansen Foundation Board of Directors
1997 – 2011 President and CEO, Rick Hansen Foundation
1997 – Present Founder & Chair of the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society
1997 – 2019, Founder, The Rick Hansen Institute
1990 – Present National Fellow, Rick Hansen National Fellow Programme, University of British Columbia
1989 – 1991 Consultant on Disability Issues to the President University of British Columbia
1988 The Man in Motion Society (later the Rick Hansen Foundation) is established
1987 – 1988 Commissioner General to Canada Pavilion at World Exposition ‘88 in Brisbane, Australia
Education
1986 Bachelor of Physical Education, University of British Columbia, (first person with a physical disability to graduate with a degree in Physical Education)
*1987- Present Rick has achieved 24 honorary degrees to date