August 26, 1957
Rick Hansen is born in Port Alberni, British Columbia., and grows up in Fort St. John, Abbotsford, and Williams Lake, B.C.
June 27, 1973
On the way home from a week-long fishing trip, Rick and his friend Don Alder are involved in an accident when the pick-up truck they’re riding in loses control. Both are thrown from the back of the truck. Rick sustains a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
1974
Rick’s dad and his brother, Brad, take Rick fishing for the first time after his accident, helping him adapt to new ways of doing what he loves
1974 - 1975
After returning home from rehabilitation in Vancouver, B.C., Rick’s volleyball coach, Bob Redford, encourages him to get involved in wheelchair sports.
1975
Rick is recruited by Stan Stronge to play wheelchair basketball for the Vancouver Cable Cars, a powerhouse team in the sport.
1976
Rick enrolls at the University of British Columbia. He later becomes the first person with a physical disability to graduate with a degree in Physical Education, paving the way for future generations of people with disabilities
1977
Rick recruits Terry Fox to join the Vancouver Cable Cars. The two become close friends, bounded by their love of sport and shared vision for making a difference.
1979 - 1984
Over five years, Rick establishes himself as a world-class athlete, winning 19 wheelchair marathons, three world titles, and 15 medals (six at the Paralympic Games and nine at the Pan American Games). He is named Canada’s Disabled Athlete of the Year in 1979, 1980, and 1982.
March 21, 1985
Rick and his team depart from Vancouver to embark on the Man In Motion World Tour, a global journey to remove barriers and raise awareness of the potential of people with disabilities.
February 1986
Rick and the team reach Australia, marking the halfway point of the Tour.
May 22, 1987
Rick and his team complete the Man In Motion World Tour, returning to Vancouver with a hero’s welcome. The Tour changed perceptions, proving that people with disabilities belong everywhere and raised $26 million.
June 29, 1987
Rick is inducted as a Companion of the Order of Canada.
October 10, 1987
Rick marries Amanda Reid, his physiotherapist on the Man In Motion World Tour, in Vancouver.
1987-1988
Rick and Amanda move to Brisbane, Australia, where Rick is appointed Commissioner-General of the Canadian Pavilion for the duration of Expo 88.
1988
The Man In Motion World Tour Society (later the Rick Hansen Foundation) is founded to remove barriers for people with disabilities and support spinal cord injury research.
1989
National Access Awareness Week, a grassroots movement inspired by the Man In Motion World Tour, begins with organizations and communities celebrating the achievements of people with disabilities and raising awareness of accessibility issues in communities across Canada. In 1989, PM Brian Mulroney formally declares it in the House of Commons, giving the week national recognition and government endorsement. In 2017, it is renamed National AccessAbility Week.
March 23, 1990
Birth of Rick and Amanda’s daughter, Emma Hansen.
January 17, 1992
Birth Rick and Amanda’s daughter of, Alana Hansen.
1992
Rick is inducted into the Order of British Columbia.
July 6, 1995
Birth of Rick and Amanda’s daughter, Rebecca Hansen.
1995
Rick and the Rick Hansen Foundation partner with the University of British Columbia to support the creation of the Collaboration on Discoveries (CORD), later named the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) advancing spinal cord research. The Foundation helps establish five leadership endowments worth $20 million (now part of the Rick Hansen Trust at UBC).
1997
Rick becomes the Founding Chair of the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society.
2000
Rick establishes the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society to support salmon conservation efforts.
2002
Rick receives the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal from the Governor General of Canada.
2006
Rick is inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
2007
Rick is inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
2008
Rick and the Rick Hansen Foundation help establish the Rick Hansen Institute (now the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute) and the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, a global collaboration of people with SCI, researchers, and service providers dedicated to discovering life-enhancing solutions for those with SCI. Their work also supports UBC’s International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), a key research consortium within the Blusson Centre.
2010
Rick is one of the four final torchbearers at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, carrying the Olympic flame into BC Place during the Opening Ceremonies.
August 24, 2011 - May 22, 2012
To mark the 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour, the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay retraces the Tour’s Canadian segment. It recognizes 7,000 difference makers who inspire a new generation to help improve the lives of people with disabilities.
2012
Rick is appointed Honorary Colonel of The Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU), providing support services for ill and injured members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. As an Honorary Colonel, Rick visits units across the country to build morale and relationships.
2016
In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Rick Hansen Foundation, with support by the Government of Canada, grants $1.5 million to schools and community groups for 55 “Barrier Buster” infrastructure improvement projects and accessibility awareness events.
February 2017
The Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) is launched. It is the world’s leading rating program for evaluating a building or site’s meaningful accessibility. No matter where organizations are in the process, RHFAC offers organizations a clear and practical framework to create spaces that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
September 2017
Rick Hansen serves as an official ambassador for the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. The international sporting event supports the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans. Rick’s participation highlights the deep connection between the Paralympic movement and veterans’ advocacy.
September 2017
Rick co-authors “Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour – 30 Years Later: A Celebration of Courage, Strength and the Power of Community”, marking the Tour’s 30th anniversary.
December 2018
After a carefully phased three-year transition, Rick officially steps into the role of Founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation, shifting his focus to advocacy, relationship-building, and inspiring audiences through public engagements. Doramy Ehling is appointed as CEO, after over a decade of leadership at the Foundation as Chief Operating Officer.