On this day March 20 1985 Canadian athlete and activist Rick Hansen began his historic Man in Motion World Tour a wheelchair journey around the globe to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injury research.
Hansen traveled through 34 countries covering more than 40000 kilometers over two years to prove that people with disabilities could achieve incredible feats. His journey inspired millions and raised over 26 million dollars for spinal cord research and accessibility initiatives.
80s insight: Rick Hansen was inspired by fellow Canadian athlete Terry Fox whose Marathon of Hope aimed to raise money for cancer research.