Five Olympians to be inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2024
Five Canadian Olympians are part of a nine-person inductee class of 2024 for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Each inductee was nominated by their community, and over 230 public nominations were reviewed by a panel of sport journalists, academics, and athletes. Each inductee has contributed to the Canadian sport community through their innovation, advocacy, or expertise, and made a positive lasting impression on Canadian sport.
Patrick Chan
Patrick Chan, three-time Olympian and the most decorated male figure skater in Canadian history, will be inducted in the Athlete category.
His skills on the blade were the envy of many and he was arguably the first skater able to perform multiple quadruple jumps amidst artistic excellence with an innate musicality.
That virtuosic combination helped him to win three Olympic medals, 10 national titles, three consecutive ISU World Championship titles (2011, 2012, 2013), three ISU Four Continents Championship titles (2009, 2012, 2016), and two ISU Grand Prix Final titles (2010, 2011). He was Canada’s Athlete of the Year in 2011.
At the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, Chan snagged two silver medals–one in men’s singles and one in the team event. He added a gold medal in the team event to his collection at PyeongChang 2018.
Chan retired from competition in 2018, but remains an important role model for young Canadian skaters. He has used his experience as a Chinese Canadian to help shape Skate Canada’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to make skating more inclusive for all. Chan volunteers with Special Olympics Canada and is an advocate for men’s mental health through Movember Canada.
Angela Chalmers
Two-time Olympian Angela Chalmers will be inducted in the Athlete category.
Chalmers collected numerous accolades throughout her career, claiming the NCAA cross-country championship in 1986, a 3000m silver medal at the 1985 Pan Am Games, and double gold in the 3000m and 1500m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Chalmers, a member of the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, was the first Indigenous woman representing Canada to win an Olympic medal, taking bronze in the 3000m at Barcelona 1992. Her historic achievement and dedication to her sport made her a role model for Indigenous youth and girls in sport.
After retirement in 1997, Chalmers has lent her voice to issues of clean sport and dedicated her time to connecting with Indigenous youth who face disproportionate challenges due to the intergenerational trauma of colonialism.
Daniel Nestor
Six-time Olympian Daniel Nestor, who left an indelible mark on Canadian tennis, will be inducted in the Athlete category.
Throughout his storied career, Nestor won 12 Grand Slam titles, including eight in men’s doubles and four in mixed doubles. He was the first player to record 1000 ATP doubles match wins. He was a member of Team Canada’s Davis Cup squad for a record-setting 25 years. Nestor is perhaps best known for delivering Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in tennis, claiming gold in the men’s doubles at Sydney 2000 alongside partner Sébastien Lareau.
Nestor retired from competition in 2018 to focus on his charitable work, which involves organizing tennis events to raise funds for healthcare initiatives. He is now working on his own foundation to support underserved youth through access to tennis.
Vicky Sunohara
Three-time Olympian and stalwart of Canadian women’s hockey, Vicky Sunohara, will be inducted in the Athlete category.
During her 19 years as a member of Team Canada, eight of which she served as Assistant Captain, Sunohara won three Olympic medals. At Nagano 1998, the Canadian women took silver, followed by back-to-back gold medals at Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006. Nagano was the first Olympic Games to have women’s ice hockey on the programme.
A seven-time world champion, Sunohara retired from competition in 2008, but continued to give back to the hockey community as a coach, becoming the University of Toronto’s first-ever full-time head coach of the women’s hockey programme.
As a Japanese Canadian, Sunohara has worked to make the sport of hockey a more inclusive and diverse space, working with minor ice hockey teams, as well as community initiatives such as KidSport, Hockey4Youth and Youth Assisting Youth.
Debbie Brill
Three-time Olympic high jumper Debbie Brill will be inducted in the Trailblazer category.
Brill developed her unique reverse jumping technique, which became known as the “Brill Bend,” as a teenager. Similar techniques were developed by other athletes, including American Dick Fosbury’s “Fosbury Flop.”
Brill’s Canadian record of 1.99m still stands, as it has for the last 42 years. She was ranked number one in the world in 1980 when Canada joined the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, missing the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games at the height of her success.
Brill has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to gender equity in sport. In 1992, she served as an athlete representative during the successful campaign to remove discriminatory sex-testing from athletics competition.
Since retiring from elite competition in 1988, Brill has continued to set master’s records in the high jump.
Other inductees in the class of 2024
Alex Nelson will be inducted in the Builder category for his lifelong leadership in Indigenous sport. Nelson co-founded the Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Association of British Columbia, and was a three-time president of the North American Indigenous Games, greatly expanding the reach of the Games, which celebrate both culture and sport.
Dr. Guylaine Demers will also be inducted in the Builder category. As a researcher, teacher, and activist, Demers’ work has impacted real change in the realm of gender equity in sport, as well as combating homophobia and transphobia.
In the Athlete category, Fred Thomas will be recognized for his barrier-breaking career in the era of racial segregation in professional sport. Thomas broke the colour barrier in the Minor League Baseball Eastern League and was the first Black Canadian to play for the Toronto Argonauts.
Paralympic swimmer Kirby Cote will also be inducted in the Athlete category. Cote is a three-time Paralympian, competing in swimming events for athletes with visual impairments. She is a 13-time Paralympic medallist, making her one of Canada’s most decorated Para athletes of all time. She has also advocated on behalf of disabled Canadians for greater accessibility, particularly in sport and recreation spaces.
