Former wheelchair marathoner Rick Hansen recalls favourite Paralympic moments
Former Paralympian wheelchair marathoner almost didn’t make it to his 1st Games
It's been almost 30 years since Paralympian Rick Hansen pushed his wheelchair around the world to raise awareness and millions of dollars for spinal cord research, but before he was known as the "Man in Motion," Hansen brought home medals for Canada as a wheelchair marathon athlete.
At his first Paralympic Games in 1980, Hansen took home gold, silver and bronze medals. At the 1984 games, he added two more golds and a silver.
As he watched Canadian athletes compete in the Paralympics in Rio de Janiero this the final week of the Games, Hansen recalled some of the best moments of his Paralympic career in an interview with the CBC's Peter Mansbridge.
A different time for airport security
If Hansen's first Games were in 2016, instead of 1980, he might not have made it to the competition. On his way to his first Paralympic Games in the Netherlands, the athlete got on the plane and realized he didn't have his passport.
1st taste of gold
Hansen says he wasn't a medal favourite in his first Paralympic race but calls his come-from-behind win a "mind-altering moment."
A fortuitous injury
Hansen dislocated his shoulder before the 1984 Games, and his doctor told him it was unlikely he would compete. But Hansen found a physiotherapist who would repair his shoulder — and change his life.
Former coach makes Paralympic history
One of Hansen's favourite Paralympic moments is not one where he was competing for a medal but where he watched his former coach, Tim Frick, leading Canada's women's wheelchair basketball team to three consecutive gold medals.
