The same summer Montreal hosted the Olympic Games, Toronto hosted the fifth edition of the Paralympic Games, known as the Toronto Olympiad for the Physically Disabled at the time.
The opening ceremonies were held at Woodbine Racetrack, where a crowd of 24,000 welcomed athletes from more than forty countries. Canadian fans cheered our Paralympians on as they won 25 gold medals. These were the first televised Paralympics, and the event’s success inspired the federal government to increase funding for athletes with disabilities competing at the highest level.
A Canadian Legend: Arnie Boldt
- Born 1957, Osler, Saskatchewan.
- Lost a leg at the age of three in a farming accident.
- Won three gold medals at the Toronto Paralympics, setting new records in the high jump and long jump, and recognized as the “Outstanding Performer of the Games.”
- Competed in seven Paralympic games – most recently at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in para-cycling at the age of 65.
