THIS WEEK'S TRIBUNE  THIS WEEK'S TRIBUNE Man In Motion speechless during visit to Knesset
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Man In Motion speechless during visit to Knesset |
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Written by Gil Zohar
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
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JERUSALEM – Canada’s renowned wheelchair marathoner and Paralympics gold medalist Rick Hansen was stymied during his visit to the Knesset here last Tuesday, where he was slated to address the Israeli parliament’s committee on the rights of the child about accessibility in public places.
Instead, the internationally famous paraplegic athlete was held up by security personnel at the entrance to the parliament. Arriving 30 minutes after the session had started, he left shortly thereafter without saying a word.
Hansen, 52, who doesn’t speak Hebrew, entered the committee room in the middle of a discussion about how to improve the situation for disabled children in Israel, led by committee chairman Danny Danon. The Likud MK briefly introduced his guest but continued the discussion in Hebrew, occasionally summarizing in English.
After 20 minutes, during which Hanson remained politely silent, the session was closed and Hansen rushed to his next stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
Hansen’s associates later explained that due to an unforeseen family event, he had to cut his first visit to Israel short and was not able to speak to reporters or reschedule his address to the Knesset committee.
When he was 15 Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury in a car crash in his native British Columbia that paralyzed him from the waist down. He went on to win 19 international wheelchair marathons, including three world championships, before he became famous in 1984 for his Man In Motion World Tour, during which he propelled his wheelchair through 34 countries on four continents.
Hansen was invited to Israel by the Toronto-based Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, which recently honoured him for the work of his foundation, which has raised more than $200 million for awareness programs and research on cures for spinal cord injuries.
“When I was in Canada last month I heard Rick’s story and thought it was appropriate to have him here in the Knesset,” Danon told the media. “He can serve as a role model for all Israeli children with disabilities.” |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 October 2009 )
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