Rick Hansen remains one of UBC’s most renowned graduates as the 1986 Physical Education alumnus’ story has been so well documented. But because this man decided to take on challenges rather than avoid them, fight self-pity and despair and because of his resulting motivational and fund-raising accomplishments, we sometimes overlook the fact Rick was one of Canada’s most remarkable athletes.
Prior to entering UBC Rick, a good athlete in his home town of Williams Lake, was involved in an auto accident which left him with a broken spine. Rick’s immense resolve and fortitude paved the way for him to continue his athletic career as a wheelchair basketball and volleyball player playing on several national champion teams, in both sports. At the same time he showcased his abilities on the track, particularly in middle and long distances. In the first Paralympic Games in 1980 Hansen won a silver medal in the 5000M and the following year won gold in the Canadian Marathon. In 1982 he won eight gold medals and set records at the first ever Pan American Games for disabled athletes.
Rick represented Canada and UBC well at the 1984 Olympics by reaching the final in the 1500M and also that year captured gold at the London Wheelchair Games marathon. He was three times named Canada’s Physically Disabled Athlete of the Year and joined Wayne Gretzky no less, as 1983 co-winner of the Lou Marsh Award, the pinnacle of accolades for our athletes.
Since concluding his storied athletic career he has embarked upon motivating those who are disabled, in fact everyone, raising awareness of the accomplishments and potential of the disabled stressing what they can do rather than what they can’t do. Induction into several Halls of Fame and the Order of Canada are among the testaments to his life’s work. In Rick’s words, “We have made great strides in spinal cord injury research (and) quality of life improvement . . . which have made our country the global standard.”
Rick was recently featured as one of Education’s 100 as part of the UBC Faculty of Education’s Year of Alumni celebrations.
Written by Fred Hume, UBC Historian
