Chantal Petitclerc, Canadian Paralympic icon, named to Hall of Fame
Montreal native among 7 inductees
Decorated wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc headlines the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2015.
The Montreal native is among seven inductees who will officially enter the hall Nov. 27 in Ottawa.
Petitclerc has 21 Paralympic medals, including 14 gold. She is a former Canadian Press female athlete of the year and winner of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's athlete of the year.
She will be joined in the athlete category by wheelchair basketball player Marni Abbott-Peter of Vancouver and para-alpine skier Lauren Woolstencroft of North Vancouver, B.C.
"Whether athlete, coach, or builder, this group of inductees are all innovators and trailblazers for Paralympic sport," said Gaétan Tardif, president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
''They contributed to building the very foundation of the Paralympic movement in Canada and around the world. We are in a better place today because of their amazing contributions.''
Abbott-Peter led Canada to three Paralympic and three world titles while Woolstencroft captured 10 Paralympic medals in her career, including eight gold.
The late Wilf Strom of Winnipeg, who coached blind swimming, will enter in the coaching category while his wife Audrey Strom will enter as a builder for her efforts to introduce innovative rule changes for blind swimmers.