Rick Reelie

Athlete (2011)

Wheelchair Sports

Rick Reelie was introduced to wheelchair sports in 1985 and immediately made an impact. He played on a Saskatchewan team, which won the Canadian Rugby Championship five years in a row and twice he was selected to the all-star team.

He shifted his attention to track and field. At the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, he won 3 gold medals in discus, javelin, shot put and set 3 World Records. In 1992 at Barcelona, he won two gold and two silver medals and set 3 World records. At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics Games, he won silver and bronze. He also competed at the 2004 Olympics at Athens achieving personal bests while watching his last Paralympic record fall. During the world championships from 1990 to 2002, he also captured numerous medals. He has held Canadian, Paralympic, and World records in five events over his career.

He has since been a coach with Athletics Canada, with the development program, also in the Australian Athletics program. He is currently the head wheelchair athletics coach for Saskatchewan and the Cyclones Road and Track Club. He has attended 3 Paralympic Games, 2 IPC and 3 IAAF World Championships as an events coach.

He was chosen as the Sask Sport Coach of the Year for all sports in 2008, an honour he holds in the highest regard.