Rick Hansen

About

Canadian athlete confined to a wheelchair who went on to win three gold medals in the Paralympic Games and was one of the final torchbearers in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Before Fame

He was paralyzed at age 15 when his friend crashed his pickup truck into a tree, throwing Hansen from the bed of the truck.

Trivia

In his career, he won 19 international wheelchair marathons.

Family Life

He married Amanda Reid, his former physiotherapist, and they had three daughters: Alana, Emma, and Rebecca.

Associated With

Inspired by Terry Fox's run across Canada to raise awareness for cancer research, Hansen circled the entire planet in his wheelchair and raised more than $26 million for spinal cord research.