It's been 25 years since Rick Hansen kicked off the Man in Motion tour and now he is criss-crossing the country once again.

The 25th Anniversary Relay entered Saskatchewan earlier this week, and Saturday events will kick off in Regina. Hansen will arrive in the Queen City in the early afternoon to events at City Square Plaza.

In a case of deja vu, Hansen said he remembers the first trip to Regina because it had great weather and tomorrow should be much of the same. However, there has also been a lot of changes since his first visit including ramps and other necessities that make it easier for people with disabilities to get around.

This time around, one of the the biggest changes for the relay is using the power of the internet to connect, encourage and collaborate with people across the country.

Beginning on Aug. 24, 2011 in Newfoundland and Labrador the 25th Anniversary Relay kicked off to retrace the Canadian segment of the original Tour - but this year, instead of one man in motion there is many with 7,000 people participating.

All of the participants are people who have made a difference in the lives of others.

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Marlene Hoce of Regina was chosen for the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen Medal for the last part of the route through the city.

“I am very very excited to finally be able to meet him,” she said. “One of my greatest memories of him is when he went up the Great Wall of China.”

For people growing up with a disabilities Hansen was an inspiration for his attitude that anything is possible. Hoce said her parents were her personal heroes, always giving her the same message.

“My parents had always said to me there is nothing that you can’t do, there is no such word as can’t,” Hoce said.

Hoce has taken that inspiring message and used it to work towards a more accessible world in her own community. She has worked with the City of Regina on the Mayor’s Task Force to improve access to transportation.

“Transportation has been one big thing. I believe that is a lifeline to independence for people with disabilities,” she said. “Without transportation you can’t really get out, go to work, live an independent life or go to school.”

For Hoce, the man in motion will always be a model for change.

Visit the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay website for more information.
Edited by News Talk Radio’s Adriana Christianson and Angela Hill