Tears of joy dominate the Nelson stop of the 25th Anniversary Rick Hansen Relay
By Bruce Fuhr
Smiles and hugs dominated the Nelson stop on the 25th Anniversary Rick Hansen Relay.
That’s before the tears of joy running down the faces of runners and spectators took over Thursday afternoon on the course that took participants from the north side of the Nelson Bridge to the NDCC parking lot.
“This is one man’s imagination and this is one man’s energy that’s gotten 25 years of awesome vibes and its continuing today, right here and right now,” Nelson’s honourable medal bearer Ed Natyshak told the boisterous crowd.
“I’m super honoured to be here . . . way to go Rick,” Natyshak added.
Twenty-five years ago Rick Hansen took the Man In Motion tour around the world, concluding the historic journey in British Columbia.
Prior to the anniversary Hansen told organizers of his dream to somehow continue to create a more healthy and inclusive society for disabled people.
Last summer, on August 24, in Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador — the easternmost point in North America and approximately 15 kilometres southeast of St. John’s — the 25th Anniversary, or Many in Motion, Relay began to retrace the Canadian segment of the original Tour.
Thursday, the West Kootenay tour kicked off when the 25th Anniversary medal came off the Osprey Ferry at the Balfour Ferry Landing.
A dozen runners passed the medal before the relay fast-forwarded to the north side of the Nelson Bridge.
From there participants took the medal to ceremony stage outside the NDCC Arena.
“This feels incredible,” said Natyshak when asked about carrying the medal, one pound of pure silver. “I struggled to write a big speech . . ..”
“What I want to say is this, it doesn’t take miracles and it doesn’t take heroes and it doesn’t take hope. What it takes is it takes work. When we get together as a society . . . as a country as people, when we get together we can accomplish just about anything,” added Natyshak, who had the pleasure of meeting Rick Hansen during his recover period at G.F. Strong after being paralyzed during a mountain bike trek that saw him break his neck at the C7 vertebrae.
Thursday was Day 240 of the cross-Canada tour.
The tour takes a few days off before resume Sunday in Nelson,
The relay stops in South Slocan and Crescent Valley before spending a few days in Castlegar.
Monday the man himself, Rick Hansen, will be in the Sunflower City to help celebrate the tour and be part of the annual juvenile white sturgeon release, hosted by the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative.
The event, at Hugh Keenleyside Dam (south-west side) near Castlegar, starts at noon and runs through until 3 p.m.
Hansen is scheduled to be on site until 1 p.m.
No doubt more tears will be shed during the rest of the relay that concludes May 22 in Vancouver.
Comments