Prince George, B.C.- The Rick Hansen Man in Motion 25^th Anniversary   arrived in Prince George today with 33 medal bearers to carry their medal in a relay through the City.

The event wraps up at the Civic centre plaza   this evening, but that doesn’t mean the relay is done.

Hansen will be here tomorrow, then heads to Ft. St. John Wednesday day for a special presentation before coming back to Prince George to see the tour resume. A  further 19 relay medal bearers will take off from the Civic Plaza Thursday morning as the relay resumes its tour.

The anniversary event is celebrating the amazing accomplishment of Hansen which saw him wheel his way across 34 countries, 4 continents, over 792 days, during which time he covered 40 thousand kilometres  had 126 flat tires, and covered the circumference of the earth. All in an effort to raise awareness and funds for spinal chord research.

Tom Masich, for whom the Masich Place Stadium is named,   is one of the medal bearers . He talked about meeting Rick many years ago when Rick and Terry Fox, came to Prince George to try the Prince George to Boston Marathon. It was the race which convinced Terry that he had the stamina to run across Canada. As we know, that journey started in Newfoundland, and tragically ended in Thunder Bay when the cancer returned.

Masich recalls Terry and Rick both being involved in wheelchair basketball, and both  were accomplished athletes. In addition to looking forward to carrying his medal for his part of the relay, Masich was looking forward to reconnecting with Hansen “It is going to be great to shake his hand once again.”