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Another trip up Thermal hill for Port Coquitlam's Hill, too

Rick Hansen's trek up Thermal Drive in 1987 was one of the most dramatic moments of his around-the-world Man In Motion Tour . But it was not planned that way.

Rick Hansen's trek up Thermal Drive in 1987 was one of the most dramatic moments of his around-the-world Man In Motion Tour.

But it was not planned that way.

According to Derrick Hill, who was in charge of promotion and advance work on the tour, making the ascent up one of the steepest hills in the Tri-Cities was a "happy accident."

Hansen wanted events in both Port Moody and Coquitlam and Thermal Drive was selected because it seemed like a quick link - at least on a map - between the two municipalities.

The people planning out the route in Vancouver failed to consider the elevation change and did not even see the road that was selected until a few days before Hansen arrived.

"It wasn't chosen because we thought it would be a dramatic, tough climb at the end," Hill said. "They just thought that was the best way to go.

"By the time we found out it was too late to change it and thank goodness they didn't. It turned out to be one of the most dramatic moments of the day."

Hill first met Hansen at Terry Fox's funeral. He had played basketball with Fox in high school and the two were part of the same social circle.

When he found out Hansen was planning an around-the-world tour to raise awareness for spinal chord injuries and research, Hill said he immediately volunteered to help. With his job at SuperValu coming to an end, he was able to join the tour full-time and spent 10 months on the road for the Canadian leg of the trip.

For those on the tour, 16 hour days were common and everything from wind direction to distance to the next location had to be considered in order to make Hansen as comfortable as possible.

"We had to be razor-sharp and tightly organized," he said. "You are constantly worried about messing up. You are worried about messing up because you don't want to make any part of Rick's job harder than it already is."

When the tour wound through the Tri-Cities, crowds turned out in droves to greet Hansen. But Hill was also cheered on by friends and family, whom he could see along the sidelines of the route.

Completing the trip was an emotional moment, he said, adding that the Man In Motion Tour was one of the most significant things he had been a part of in his life.

"What was exciting for me was some of the personal touches," he said. "I saw some of my teachers standing out in the crowd. My mom also came down."

When the current 12,000 km Rick Hansen Relay began last August, Hill had an inkling that the Man In Motion would attempt the Thermal Drive climb once again. Hansen had accomplished the feat for the 10- and 20-year anniversaries of the tour and Hill believes he will have no trouble rolling up the steep street one more time.

When Hansen begins the climb next Friday, May 18, Hill will once again be by his side, as he was the last three times the climb was made. This time, the group will be joined by five Tri-City students who have been designated medal bearers.

"It will be great to see old friends," he said. "But the whole purpose of it is to inspire the next generation of difference makers."

For more information about the Rick Hansen Relay go to www.rickhansenrelay.com. Other stories in The Tri-City News' Rick Hansen city can be found here and here.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com