Todd Nicholson
Birthdate
Sport(s)
Para Ice Hockey
Hometown
Dunrobin, ON
Classification
For over a quarter of a century, Todd Nicholson represented Canada on the international stage as a member of Canada’s National Sledge Team and a number of other summer sports.
Between 1994 and 2010, Nicholson competed in sledge hockey at five Paralympic Winter Games, winning bronze, silver and gold medals. Team captain for 15 years, Nicholson was named to the Paralympic All-Star Team in 1998 and 2002.
In 2010, Nicholson retired from competition, but not from his commitment as a volunteer to sport and the Paralympic movement. From 2013 until April 2017, he served as Chairman for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council and as such, was a Governing Board member for the International Paralympic Committee.
He also served as the IPC Athlete Representative to the International Olympic Committee and has direct hands-on experience planning and administering the Games (Olympic and Paralympic) in London (2012), Sochi (2014), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and PyeongChang (2018).
On Jan. 24, 2017, Nicholson was named Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Three-time Paralympic medallist: gold (2006), silver (1998) and bronze (1994)… competed at five Paralympic Games from 1994 to 2010… was team captain for 15 years... named to the Paralympic All-Star Team in 1998 and 2002… won eight medals at the world sledge hockey championships… was inducted to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2014… has also competed at the national/international level in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, triathlon, duathlon, marathons and para-skeleton.
PERSONAL
In 1987, Nicholson became a paraplegic after being involved in a car accident as he was returning home on the night of his high school prom. He was introduced to Paralympic sports during his stay at the Royal Ottawa Rehabilitation Center.
Nicholson and his wife, Emily Glossop, an equally committed advocate on behalf of children and youth with disabilities, devote their ‘free’ time and energies left over from raising their twins who were born in 2009, to building Ottawa’s Abilities Centre. The vision is modelled after the success of Whitby, Ont.’s remarkable 125,000-square foot recreational facility designed, administered and staffed to create a fully inclusive recreational facility for people of all abilities.
In his day job, Nicholson works at the Canada Board Services Agency, which now benefits from his experience as an athlete with the knowledge necessary to plan for and manage major events in Canada. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Citation for Meritorious Service, an award that is nominated by the President only.
In 2016 he received the received the Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) from the Governor General of Canada.
Gallery
| Year | Type | Host City |
Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Winter |
Vancouver, Canada
|
|
| 2006 | Winter |
Torino, Italy
|
1 gold medals |
| 2002 | Winter |
Salt Lake City, USA
|
|
| 1988 | Winter |
Nagano, Japan
|
1 silver medals |
| 1994 | Winter |
Lillehammer, Norway
|
1 bronze medals |
