Rick Hansen has made a difference in the lives of millions of Canadians. Now, Hansen will share with fans across the country the compelling and heroic stories of those who have made a difference in the lives of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium has partnered with the Rick Hansen Foundation for a 17-part series entitled The Difference Makers, which pays tribute to the extraordinary coaches, teachers, parents, siblings and even rivals who have helped Canada's Olympians and Paralympians overcome their greatest personal and athletic challenges.

The first of the 17 features will air during the Consortium's pre-show prior to the Opening Ceremony and will focus on the ‘difference maker' in Hansen's life - his coach, the late Stan Stronge. Highlights of Canadian athletes featured in The Difference Makers include Ski Cross's Chris Del Bosco, Long Track Speed Skater Denny Morrison and Sledge Hockey goaltender Paul Rosen.

On March 21, the last day of the Paralympic Games, a one-hour tribute will air celebrating exactly 25 years to the day that Hansen left Vancouver to begin his ‘Man In Motion World Tour'.

Established in 1988, the Rick Hansen Foundation is a registered charitable organization that works to create more accessible and inclusive communities for people with spinal cord injury, and supports the search for a cure. The Foundation achieves its goals by connecting the people and resources that make innovation possible. To date, the Rick Hansen Foundation has had an impact of over $200 million in the field of SCI in Canada.

Some of the major programs supported by the foundation:

"Wheels in Motion" - an annual participant event held in communities across Canada to raise awareness and funds to improve the quality of life of people living with SCI. Canadians have contributed more than $9.6 million to Wheels In Motion since its inception in 2003, funds that have fueled more than 800 quality of life projects in communities from Victoria to St. John's.

"ICORD" (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries) - Recognized as the world's leading spinal cord injury research group, ICORD links relevant researchers locally, nationally and internationally, to set priorities and share information. ICORD is part of the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, a new world-class spinal cord injury research centre in Vancouver, BC.

"Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Network" - The SCI Solutions Network is a Canada-wide collaboration of people with SCI, researchers and service providers, along with their respective organizations, all committed to addressing priority needs and generating solutions for Canadians with SCI. The SCI Solutions Network works in three areas to minimize disability and maximize quality of life for people with SCI: customized solutions, translational research, and the promotion of best practices in treatment, care and support.

"Blusson Spinal Cord Centre" - The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre is a world-class interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to advancing world-leading, integrated research and care for people with spinal cord injury. It is the only facility in Canada that brings researchers from a wide range of disciplines together with surgeons, physiotherapists and patients to discover and develop new therapies for spinal cord injuries.

In 1985, Rick Hansen pushed his wheelchair out of Vancouver, BC and set out on a journey that would make history. His legendary Man In Motion World Tour spanned more than 40,000 km through 34 countries, took over two years to complete, and raised more than $26 million for spinal cord injury. Rick's incredible achievement became a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of teamwork. His courage and determination inspired us to believe in the possibility of a fully accessible and inclusive society, and a cure for spinal cord injury.

Following a car crash at the age of 15, Rick sustained a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down. Forced to define a new life for himself, Rick never hesitated to challenge society's perceptions about what is possible for anyone with big dreams and the passion
to see them through. Rick was the first student with a physical disability to graduate in Physical Education from the University of British Columbia. He went on to become a world class athlete, winning 19 international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships, and competed for Canada in the 1984 Olympic Games.

In 1987, Rick was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada and has received several honorary degrees. As a positive role model dedicated to improving the world around him, Rick has a remarkable ability to engage and motivate youth. He regularly shares his message of hope, inspiration and the importance of making a positive difference in the lives of others with young people across Canada.

Today, Rick is still a Man In Motion. As President and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, Rick remains committed to making communities more accessible and inclusive for people with a spinal cord injury, and advancing spinal cord research.