A World Tour of Hope: Featherstone Looks Back After 25 Years

25 May 2012Robin J

In 1980, Terry Fox lost his leg to bone cancer, but rather than give in to his disability, he embarked on a “Marathon of Hope”, attempting to run across Canada from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island in a journey to raise funds for cancer research. Terry’s story is well known, and the impact of his heroic journey is famous among all Canadians, both those who participate in the memorial run every year, and those who have been personally affected by cancer and have benefitted from the research Terry’s foundation has supprted. Terry’s story has inspired generations of Canadians, but one man was inspired by Terry Fox’s battle against cancer in a life-altering way.

A fellow British Columbian, Rick Hansen, suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a car accident as a youth, and for years after worked on rehabilitating himself to once again become the all-star athlete he was prior to his accident. Rick’s recovery alone was a heroic feat, but being an empathetic man, he wished that others could also recover from their spinal cord injuries. Thus much like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen planned a tour to raise awareness for research. But Rick’s plan was even more ambitious: he dreamed of encircling the world in his wheelchair.

He embarked on his tour, the “Man in Motion World Tour” on March 21st, 1985 and though initially his profile was low, he soon came to the forefront of international media attention as he logged over 40,000km across four continents in 26 months, arriving back in BC Place stadium on May 22nd, 1987 after raising $26 million for spinal cord research and altering the way people view the less disabled.

A current Brentonian, Boatman Warren Featherstone, was a part of Rick’s s struggle from the beginning. Warren has, for the past two years, been the boatman at Brentwood, fixing and tuning the rowing shells in the boathouse and playing an integral part in the waterfront program as well as officiating school hockey games. Warren ran with Rick at the beginning of his tour through Vancouver in 1985, but he could not have predicted the astounding impact that Rick, and all the other runners on the tour, would have in the field of spinal cord research. Though the initial tour ended in 1987, it was only the beginning for Warren and Rick, for the Rick Hansen Foundation has generated more than $200 million for spinal cord research, and many more tours have sprung from the first.

Warren not only supports Rick’s triumphant battle against spinal cord injuries, but has himself been impacted by members of his family who have had to give up the use of their legs due to these debilitating injuries. Warren and Rick continue to fight for victims of spinal cord injuries and Warren once again ran with Rick this past week for the 25th anniversary relay commemorating the beginning of Rick’s tour.

“I’m filled with such joy, such gratitude, and such inspiration” said Rick at the finish of the relay in Vancouver, in reflection of his first tour and all the other battles he and his supporters have fought since.

As Warren crosses much of Canada this week in his way to St. Catherines with a truckload of Brentwood rowing shells for the CSSRA regatta, he remembers the small beginnings of an international movement of which he feels proud to be a part.

Safe travels, Mr. Featherstone.

Robin J