It's been 25 years in the making, but Richmond's Rick Hansen has kicked off the 25th Anniversary Relay of his famous Man in Motion tour.
In Cape Spear, NL, Hansen ushered 13-year-old Jacob Manning - the first of 7,000 relay medal-bearers - away from the start line to begin a chain reaction of nine months of road travel across Canada to Vancouver.
Hansen's tour, expected to land in Richmond on May 20, will retrace the amazing trail he blazed 25 years ago.
"Today is a momentous occasion for myself, my family and the Rick Hansen Foundation," said Hansen.
"This is day one of a nine-month journey for 7,000 Canadians and the opportunity to recognize local difference makers - all of whom have played a role in producing an impact for positive change in this country.
"This is the start of a new journey, where together, we channel our energy with the same drive and determination that fuelled the original tour to realize a cure for paralysis after spinal cord injury and create healthier and more accessible communities across the country."
This time around, the Man In Motion will be represented and celebrated by many in motion, as 7,000 participants from across Canada - who have made a difference in their own communities and in the lives of others - will walk, wheel or run in the 12,000 kilometre relay.
Hansen began the day with an event at the Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada.
To set the relay in motion, Hansen put the Relay medal - designed by the Royal Canadian Mint and to be passed across the country by all 7,000 participants - over the shoulders of 13-year-old Manning from Conception Bay South, NL.
The tour will engage more than 600 communities from coast-to-coast for 273 days. The first day of the relay saw 56 medal-bearers of all ages pass the Rick Hansen Medal from Cape Spear to St. John's.
All Canadians (13 years and up) are able to apply to become a participant through the online contest at www. RickHansenRelay.com.
