Canadian wheelchair rugby legend Garett Hickling has died at 54, the Canadian Paralympic Committee shared on Tuesday, June 24.
The Âé¶čAV native was a leader and trailblazer for the sport on and off the court, participating in five Paralympic Games, winning three silver medals (1996, 2004, 2012) and one bronze (2008). He was also Team Canada's Opening Ceremony flag bearer for the London 2012 games.
At world championships events, Hickling helped Canada win silver in 1995, bronze in 1998, and gold in 2002.
After his playing career, he continued to coach at multiple levels in Toronto. In 2024, he was an assistant coach for Canada's wheelchair rugby team at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
âGarett is a wheelchair rugby legend, a true warrior out there,â said former Canadian head coach Patrick CĂŽtĂ© to Wheelchair Rugby Canada at Hicklingâs in 2017. âBeing so dominant in a sport for so many years demonstrates how tough he was.âŻSimply put, he was one of the greatest players of all time.â
Hickling was introduced into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, and Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019.
