1x1 with Rick Hansen, reflecting on Man in Motion tour 40 years later

1980, Terry Fox embarks on his Marathon of Hope, running across Canada, raising millions for cancer research. Well, a few years later, his buddy Rick Hansen wants to continue that legacy, crosses the world in a wheelchair across Canada. 34 countries, 40,000 kilometers, more than two years, raising millions of dollars to create a world that is more inclusive, where people with disabilities can reach their full potential. But that tour almost broke him. And now a new documentary is highlighting the emotional toll that the Man in Motion tour took on Rick Hansen. The Man in Motion himself joins us now to talk about it. Rick, nice to see you again. Hey, Omar, good to see you too. Good to see you. Ooh. Last time I talked to you was Canada Day. You've been moving for more than 40 years. You never stopped. Hard to believe, you know, 40 years since that Man of Motion tour. You know, it was really just the end of the beginning. And, of course, so many big barriers to remove. And here we are celebrating 40 years of progress. Putting this documentary together, did it take an emotional toll on you looking back? How hard that was? You know, I don't think I really realized until I looked at the video and then listened to the personal audio tapes that I took and also my wife Amanda took. And you realize just how close to the edge we were of either exploding or imploding. It was a razor-fine edge. And really, to be honest, it was like a miracle of people coming together with this passion and leaning on each other at critical moments to just keep it going. Awesome. Incredible. Like you're crossing Canada in like minus 35 degree blizzards. You're going through like deserts that are burning hot. You're going through all of this. Is there a moment within all of that? That you stopped and just said, I can't do this anymore. Yeah, you know, the biggest milestone moment is after I'd had this tremendous success in Asia. You know, millions of people from Beijing to Shanghai lining the streets, wheeling up the Great Wall. And thinking that the momentum would continue when I came back to North America. But when I got back to Florida, it was like nothing had changed. You know, people didn't know about what we were doing. And I was devastated. I was so disappointed. I'd made a decision that I would be quitting the journey on that day in Northern Florida. I came in and talked to my partner, Amanda, and she said, Look, Rick, you just have to hang in and believe in yourself, believe in the dream, and if you can't, believe in me and things will change. Canada will change and they will welcome you home. I talked myself off that limb and got back out the next day without declaring that I'd quit. But I just imagined at that moment what might not have happened if I hadn't listened to Amanda. We're 40 years down that path. Are we living in the world you had imagined we would be in 40 years in? You know, I was pretty young and naive then. You know, it's incredible. I thought that the world would change quickly. And so even though we've made progress, I'm not satisfied. And I know we have to get there faster. And it's a big hill to climb. We need to pick a focus like number one, the built environment, the places and spaces we build for people where we live, work, learn and play. And we have to turn the top off and stop building in barriers and making them. Accessible for everyone and then retrofit all the ones we've built over four or five decades and make sure people can actually be part of this country. You know, I always think back to this beautiful domino effect that happens. You and Terry Fox are friends. You invite him to play on your wheelchair basketball team. It's hard to believe. I recruited this young kid who just lost his leg to cancer, struggling, and we became great friends, trained together. But, you know, both Terry and I, we wouldn't have actually embarked on our journey if it wasn't for the volunteer manager named Stan Strong. He was the guy, a guy in a wheelchair. He had been injured since 1938. 38, and And he was bringing his passion to make a difference to our team and encouraging us to pay it forward. What an inspiration, and I'm so grateful for him and all the unsung Canadian heroes who make up this country, who are volunteering and giving their time for people who have goals and dreams. One person can make a difference. It happened to me. People impacted me all the way through my life. Stan Strong, Terry Fox, my wife Amanda, and you have a difference maker, everyone does, and so if we've received it, we can give it. Rick Hansen, always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with you. Thank you so much. Thanks, Omar. Appreciate that. Thank you. And hey, thanks for connecting here with Terry. Every time I thought about quitting, I remembered my friendship and his spirit, and it kept me going. Terry Fox was with you the whole way. 100%. Still today. Yeah. Still today. Unbelievable. Thank you so much. Thank you, man. Appreciate it. You too.