Todd Nicholson: Hall of Famer a champion on and off the ice

DUNROBIN, Ont. – Todd Nicholson was in uniform for Team Canada when Para ice hockey made its official Paralympic Games debut in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994.

Those first strides in that historic moment will forever stay with the Dunrobin, Ont. resident, but little did he probably know he was entering a new sports revolution for which he would make a great contribution, on and off the ice.

‘’It was my first experience playing at an international event of that calibre,” he remembered. ‘’After my accident in 1987, I never thought I’d be able to do something like that.”

And he celebrated the moment with his staunchest supporters.

‘’One of the highlights for me was seeing my parents in the stands – they weren’t hard to find, there were a dozen people in the stands,’’ said Nicholson with a laugh. ‘’Looking up seeing them there… that’s one of my most memorable moments.’’

Back in 1994, the Paralympic Winter Games was only in its sixth edition and still a fledgling enterprise. Back then, Para ice hockey was called sledge hockey. The name was officially changed in 2016.

Nicholson recalls how in those earlier days, Para ice hockey was still in the experimentation stage in terms of equipment and skills. For example, players usually shot with one hand compared to today where ambidexterity is essential, and stickhandling under the sled was rare.

‘’When I look at the game today, it’s changed dramatically,’’ he said. ‘’The speed, the control, the power, it’s evolved so much.’’

Nicholson kept pace with those changes in the sport competing at five Paralympic Winter Games. He helped Canada to bronze in 1994, silver in 1998, and gold in 2006. He was team captain for 15 years.

In addition, Nicholson was a multi-sport athlete. He competed internationally in six sports: from wheelchair basketball to triathlon and even Para skeleton, stating he was one of the first Canadians to slide down the Salt Lake City track built for the 2002 Olympic Games.

Nicholson enters the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame as an athlete, but when his name was first announced many asked if he was going in as a builder as well.

Not only was Nicholson a champion on the ice but he also spearheaded the athletes’ voice, most notably as chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s Athletes’ Council.

‘’We always talk about organizations being athlete centered,’’ Nicholson said. ‘’I wanted to make sure that was truly the case, that board members understood who these athletes were and what their stories meant.’’

In a full circle moment, Nicholson’s background as an athlete and advocate led him to the role of chef de mission of the PyeongChang 2018 Canadian Paralympic Team.

It was the greatest moment of his sport career.

‘’To put the Team Canada colours back on was so fulfilling,’’ he said. ‘’I remembered all my chefs de mission from when I was an athlete and I wanted to give our team that same experience.

‘’To feel proud, supported, and empowered.’’