Lee
Melymick

Lee Melymick has become a familiar presence on the men’s national team. He competed at his first Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020 where Canada placed eighth. He helped the team improve to sixth at the 2023 World Championships.

He also competed at the 2023 Parapan American Games where Canada won bronze and at the 2024 Paralympic Games qualifier as Canada booked its ticket to Paris.

He enjoyed a big summer with Team Canada en route to a Parapan Am Games silver medal and a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic berth. He averaged more than 23 minutes per game and chipped in offensively with 6.3 points per game in six contests in Lima at the Parapan Ams. He was a starter in five of those six games.

Melymick turned to wheelchair basketball after an injury in 2015. As a natural competitor, he immediately embraced the game and its aggressive style of play.

He began playing locally with Variety Village in Toronto and has progressed quickly in the sport, representing the club at the 2017 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League National Championship. In the same year Melymick was selected for the Canadian Men’s U23 Team to mark his national team debut.

On the court Melymick is a strong supportive player, setting picks and seals to get his teammates open, while keeping an eye out for openings to make use of his ranged shot.

Melymick was named to the Senior Men’s National Team for the 2018 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2020 Paralympic Games… 2019, 2023 Parapan American Games… 2019 Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year… silver with Ontario at Canada Winter Games… 2018 and 2023 World Championships.

PERSONAL

Paralyzed from the waist down after he fell off a ladder in 2015… Transferred from Ryerson University to the University of Missouri in January 2022 in chemical engineering.… Just a few months before the 2019 Parapan Ams had his car stolen with six wheelchair wheels made for playing basketball inside…

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

• 2023 Parapan American Games 3rd
• 2023 World Championships 6th
• 2021 Paralympic Games 8th
• 2019 Parapan American Games 2nd
• 2018 World Championships 12th