Canada has a rich sporting history filled with amazing athletes who changed their sports forever. While many Canadian sports stars remain household names, others have faded from public memory despite their incredible achievements. These forgotten heroes broke records, changed games, and represented Canada with pride on the world stage. Their stories deserve to be remembered and celebrated for the impact they made on Canadian sports history.
You might know Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby, but how many of these forgotten Canadian sports legends have you heard of? From Olympic gold medalists to world champions, these 20 athletes dominated their sports but haven’t received the lasting recognition they deserve.
Petra Burka
Petra Burka made figure skating history as the first woman to land a triple jump in competition. She won the World Figure Skating Championship in 1965 and captured bronze at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. Burka was born in Amsterdam to Holocaust survivors before her family immigrated to Canada when she was young. She became a respected coach and skating commentator for CBC after retiring from competition. Burka was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1966 and received the Order of Canada in recognizing her contributions to figure skating.
Fergie Jenkins
Fergie Jenkins became the first Canadian inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after his remarkable pitching career. He won the Cy Young Award in 1971 with the Chicago Cubs and recorded over 3,000 strikeouts during his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball. Jenkins grew up in Chatham, Ontario, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and hockey before focusing on baseball. He pitched with incredible control, once going 30 consecutive complete games without walking a single batter. Jenkins later became a mentor to young Canadian baseball players and received the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian sports.
Percy Williams
Percy Williams shocked the world when he won gold medals in both the 100m and 200m sprints at the 1928 Olympics. He came from nowhere to defeat the heavily favored American and European runners despite being just 5’6″ tall. Williams set a world record in the 100m with a time of 10.3 seconds in 1930, an incredible achievement in that era. He suffered from chronic neuritis that forced an early retirement from competitive running. Williams carried the Olympic torch during the 1954 British Empire Games in Vancouver.
Barbara Ann Scott
Barbara Ann Scott became the first and only Canadian woman to win the Olympic gold medal in singles figure skating in 1948. She dominated figure skating in the late 1940s, winning World Championships in 1947 and 1948. Scott toured with ice shows after her amateur career and became a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. She carried the Olympic torch during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games at age 81. Scott donated her vast collection of medals, trophies, and memorabilia to the City of Ottawa before her death in 2012.
Tom Longboat
Tom Longboat from the Six Nations Reserve was the greatest long-distance runner of his era. He won the Boston Marathon in 1907, setting a course record that stood for many years. Longboat developed innovative training methods involving interval training that were decades ahead of his time. He served as a dispatch runner during World War I, covering dangerous territory to deliver crucial messages. Despite racial discrimination throughout his career, Longboat’s revolutionary training techniques are still used by runners today.
Lucile Wheeler
Lucile Wheeler revolutionized Canadian alpine skiing in the 1950s, becoming the first North American to win World Championship gold medals in the downhill and giant slalom events. She dominated the 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria, capturing two gold medals in a stunning performance that shocked the European skiing establishment. Wheeler developed her fearless approach to racing on the modest slopes of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, proving that world-class skiers could emerge without access to the towering mountains of traditional Alpine nations. Her groundbreaking success paved the way for future generations of Canadian skiers by demonstrating that Europeans could be beaten at their own game.
Bruce Kidd
Bruce Kidd dominated distance running as a teenager, winning gold in the six-mile race at the 1962 Commonwealth Games at just 19 years old. He set 15 Canadian records in events ranging from the mile to the six-mile race during his remarkable career. Kidd competed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics while studying at the University of Toronto, showing his commitment to both academics and athletics. He became a respected academic, writer and advocate for athletes’ rights after his competitive career. Kidd served as Dean of Physical Education at the University of Toronto and received the Order of Canada for his lifetime contributions to Canadian sport and physical education.
George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo never won a world heavyweight championship but earned respect for his iron chin. He famously went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice without ever being knocked down in his entire career. Chuvalo won the Canadian heavyweight title multiple times between 1958 and 1979, an incredible span. He fought many boxing legends including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Floyd Patterson during his career. Chuvalo later became an anti-drug advocate after losing three sons to drug-related issues.
Carol Huynh
Carol Huynh made history by winning Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Games. She added a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics to her impressive collection of achievements. Huynh was born to Vietnamese refugee parents who settled in northern British Columbia. She has become a coach and ambassador for women’s wrestling after her competitive career. Huynh was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018 for her contributions to the sport.
Alex Baumann
Alex Baumann dominated swimming in the early 1980s despite training in Sudbury, far from major aquatic centers. He won double gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 200m and 400m individual medley. Baumann set 34 Canadian records and multiple world records during his swimming career. He overcame the tragic deaths of both his brother and father during his competitive years. Baumann later became a sports administrator in New Zealand and Australia before returning to lead Swimming Canada.
Simon Whitfield
Simon Whitfield captured triathlon gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the sport’s debut on the Olympic program, overcoming a crash on the bike portion to stage a remarkable comeback victory. His perfectly timed sprint finish remains one of the most dramatic Olympic moments in Canadian summer sports history. Whitfield maintained world-class status for an astonishing 12 years, adding silver at the 2008 Beijing Games to prove his longevity in one of sport’s most physically demanding events. His training innovations, including the incorporation of cutting-edge recovery techniques and nutrition strategies, influenced triathletes worldwide.
Hayley Wickenheiser
Hayley Wickenheiser revolutionized women’s hockey through unmatched skill and determination, dominating internationally for two decades while breaking barriers in the men’s professional game. She led Canada to four consecutive Olympic gold medals between 2002 and 2014, establishing herself as the greatest female player in hockey history. Wickenheiser became the first woman to score a goal in men’s professional hockey while playing in Finland, proving women could compete alongside men at high levels. Her slap shot was clocked at over 80mph, demolishing stereotypes about women’s physical capabilities in hockey.
Sylvie Bernier
Sylvie Bernier became the first Canadian to win Olympic gold in diving at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She performed nearly flawlessly in the 3m springboard event despite intense pressure as the competition favorite. Bernier retired at just 21 years old while at the peak of her abilities. She later became a sports broadcaster and Olympic team leader for Canada. Bernier remains involved in promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles for Canadian youth.
Toller Cranston
Toller Cranston revolutionized men’s figure skating with his artistic approach and theatrical performances. He won Olympic bronze in 1976 and six Canadian national championships during his competitive career. Cranston’s artistic influence changed figure skating judging to include more emphasis on creative expression. He became a successful artist after retirement, with his paintings displayed in galleries worldwide. Cranston wrote several books about his experiences in the sometimes controversial world of figure skating.
Susan Nattrass
Susan Nattrass was a pioneer in women’s trap shooting who fought for gender equality in Olympic competition. She competed in seven Olympic Games between 1976 and 2008, showing remarkable longevity in her sport. Nattrass won seven World Championships during her incredible shooting career. She successfully lobbied the International Olympic Committee to include women’s shooting events. Nattrass balanced her athletic career with earning a PhD in education and working as a university professor.
Harry Jerome
Harry Jerome held world records in the 100m sprint despite facing racial discrimination and career-threatening injuries. He won bronze at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics after doctors said he might never run again following a severe leg injury. Jerome set seven world records during his sprinting career in the 1960s. He became a teacher and developed sports programs for youth after retiring from competition. Jerome’s comeback from injury is considered one of the greatest in Canadian sports history.
Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson was a standout Paralympic athlete who competed across multiple disciplines in wheelchair sports. He set world records in wheelchair racing during his career spanning from the 1960s through the 1980s. Robinson competed using equipment that would be considered primitive by today’s standards but still achieved remarkable results. He advocated for better accessibility and recognition for Paralympic athletes throughout his career. Robinson helped build the foundation for Canada’s current success in Paralympic sports.
Kurt Browning
Kurt Browning revolutionized men’s figure skating with his athletic jumps and entertaining performance style that brought unprecedented popularity to the sport. He made history as the first skater to land a ratified quadruple jump in competition, pushing the technical boundaries of what seemed physically possible on ice. Browning captured four World Championship titles between 1989 and 1993, dominating the sport with his combination of technical brilliance and artistic expression. Despite his world titles and innovation.
Ken Read
Ken Read was part of the “Crazy Canucks” ski team that shocked the European-dominated downhill skiing world. He won five World Cup downhill races during the late 1970s and early 1980s when Canadians weren’t expected to compete. Read became the first North American to win the prestigious Kitzbühel downhill race in Austria. He later became a sports administrator and helped develop winter sports programs in Canada. Read’s son Erik followed in his footsteps as an Olympic skier for Canada.
Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes achieved the remarkable distinction of being the only athlete in history to win multiple Olympic medals in both Summer and Winter Games. She captured cycling bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics before switching to speed skating and winning four additional medals, including gold in the 5000m at Turin 2006. Hughes dominated two completely different sports requiring entirely different physical attributes and training regimens, showcasing her extraordinary athletic versatility.
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