It took a trip to Williams Lake and a 60-minute conversation to secure Rick Hansen as this year’s Career Leap keynote speaker, Thursday.

Career Leap is a huge one-day event designed to provide youth and adults with information and support from professionals and industry insiders about opportunities for employment, training and/or education.

Career Leap also addresses the issue of including people with disabilities and accessibility.

SD28 district co-ordinator Ed Coleman said this year’s focus on opportunities for the disabled was the reason he approached Hansen two years ago and why he was a great choice.

Hansen, born and raised in Williams Lake, became a paraplegic at age 15 but went on to be a world-class athlete and became famous for his 40,000-kilometre Man in Motion wheelchair journey around the world raising millions of dollars for spinal cord injury research.

“His name was always on the table,” Coleman said.

“He’s known North American wide and he still has ongoing links to students.

“Rick has always had solid principles. He was committed to the lowest administrative costs, a clear and consistent message, the tour would always be about the team and the end goal.

“Man in Motion Tour was always about the message, grassroots and community. It was never about him, always about the team.

“He’s also very charismatic, passionate and real. Still is today.”

And Coleman knows this first hand.

During the Man in Motion’s 34-country worldwide tour, Coleman devoted countless volunteer hours in Vancouver providing technological support for the tour team. Every evening and every weekend for six years.

His role was computer resources manager and assistant to the comptroller.

Coleman worked closely with the road team who drove every kilometre of the trip ahead of Hansen to ensure all logistical challenges could be handled, every bridge deck and road elevation was recorded and sent to Vancouver.

As computer co-ordinator for Vancouver School District, Coleman knew he had skills to offer.

“I remember meeting him in Penticton in 1983,” Coleman said.

“He told me he was going to wheel around the world. That had a big impact. It planted a seed.

“I kept track of Rick. When I realized I could bring skills to the tour I knocked on his door and offered my services.”

Coleman was honoured as one of Vancouver’s Volunteers of the Year in 1988 for his work on the Man in Motion Tour.

He knew Hansen was an excellent choice for Quesnel’s third Career Leap and after agreeing to implement action on employment for disabilities, Hansen agreed to attend and waived his fee.

Coleman has reported all of Quesnel’s efforts towards that end.

“I learned from the Man in Motion tour about barriers and now in Quesnel I want to contribute to eliminating barriers,” he said.

“We have a long way to go but one of the benchmarks is how accessible is the community.”

The fundamental calibre of Hansen’s character is inspirational, Coleman said.

“For youth and adults we need these type of people, they plant seeds and we connect with them through their message.

“His is a good message of courage and attaining goals. He has credibility as someone who’s had courage and looks for people who support his goals. He provides a concrete process on how to approach career goals and is someone who has achieved his goals.”

Coleman added world-class musician Don Alder, who accompanied Hansen on his Man in Motion tour, and has an ongoing role in the Rick Hansen Foundation, performs just before Hansen’s keynote address.

For information on Career Leap, contact Helen Dixon Continuing Education 250-983-6900.