Induction Year: 2001
Sport: Athletics (High Jump)
Special Achievements
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1980 - World and Paralympic High Jump record set at 1.96 m.
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1976 - Toronto Paralympiad receiving his first gold medal
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Approached by the CBC to work on the script for the movie "Crossbar"
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Competed for the track team in the high jump at the CIAU (CIS) level.
In a career that spanned almost twenty years, Manitoba's Arnold Boldt was a sporting icon. In the 1970s Boldt established himself as the world's top amputee high jumper, garnering invitations to both disability sport and able-bodied track meets. Boldt's World and Paralympic High Jump record set in 1980 still stands at 1.96m.
Boldt was initiated to sport at a very early age. In elementary school he found an interest in track and field. Due to farming community where physical injury was fairly common place, he encountered nothing but positive support to pursue athletic endeavors. "I was fairly well accepted for who I was, it was quite easy to be yourself and do what you wanted to do without people pre-judging you." Through a prosthetic, Boldt learned about sport for amputees and competed for Canada at the 1976 Toronto Paralympiad receiving his first gold medal. Boldt also played wheelchair basketball in the Saskatoon area and played volleyball for Saskatchewan.
In 1977 Boldt was approached by the CBC to work on the script for the movie "Crossbar" which was "very loosely" based on Boldt's career as a high jumper. After 1976 Boldt attended the University of Saskatchewan and University of Manitoba and competed for the track team in the high jump at the CIAU (CIS) level.
