ABC Wednesday - H is for Rick Hansen

I am late joining in ABC Wednesday. School started this week and I have been very busy.

This week the focus is H and what better person for H than Rick Hansen. He is one of my heroes.

This year is the 25th Anniversary of the Man in Motion World Tour, when Rick wheeled around the world in his wheelchair.

He has begun a new trip across Canada with 7,000 "difference makers", in an Anniversary relay that began in Newfoundland this past Aug. 24. Check out his website for lots of information on the relay, and on spinal cord research.

Here is part of an interview he had with the Globe and Mail:

"His philosophy is evident in everything he says: Dwell not on what you don’t have, or can’t have; focus on what you have and are able to do. The attitude “wasn’t a bolt of lightening.” It came slowly with the help of mentors, friends, family members and quiet contemplation in what he calls The Rick Hansen School of Life.
“Usually the biggest demon is not out there,” he says, gesturing to the world outside his window. “It’s what is inside your head. That was one of the most profound lessons I’ve learned in my life. I would never give that up for the use of my legs,” he says without drama. "

Two other quotes from him:

"The goal you set must be challenging. At the same time, it should be realistic and attainable, not impossible to reach. It should be challenging enough to make you stretch, but not so far that you break."

"There is nothing you can’t do, if you set your mind to it. Anything is possible."

Be sure to visit ABC Wednesday for how others have interpreted H.