Mr. Speaker, I am proud to pay tribute to one of Canada's most inspiring citizens, my fellow British Columbian, Mr. Rick Hansen.
Despite a terrible car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, Rick was able to accomplish the impossible by wheeling across Canada and 33 other countries, covering enough distance literally to circle the globe.
Since that amazing journey, Rick's momentum has not slowed a bit. Canadians watched with pride as Rick became an Olympic hero, both as a gold medal athlete and more recently for his contributions to the Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics.
It has been 25 years since Rick's round-the-world tour, and for this year's special anniversary he has decided to celebrate by repeating his Canadian tour. Following his original 12,000 kilometre path from coast to coast, he will raise awareness, engage communities, celebrate heroes, and leave behind a Canada that is more inclusive and accessible.
I invite all members of the House to join me in paying tribute to this incredible Canadian hero. He has done amazing work for spinal research and shown us all that the human spirit knows no bounds.