André Viger, OC CQ (September 27, 1952 – October 1, 2006) was a French Canadian wheelchair marathoner and Paralympian. He took part in five consecutive Summer Paralympic Games in athletics from 1980 to 1996, winning a total of three gold, three silver and four bronze medals.
.jpg) Viger after his victory in the men's wheelchair division of the 1984 Boston Marathon | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 27, 1952 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | October 1, 2006 (aged 54) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Paralympic athletics |
Medal record | |
Biography
editBorn in Windsor, Ontario, Viger grew up in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He lost the use of his legs following a traffic accident at age 20. He won the men's wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon in 1984, 1986 and 1987. In 1987, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. In 1989, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for being "a source of encouragement for young athletes and a role model for young people everywhere".[1] In 1993, he was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, and in 2005, the Paralympic Hall of Fame.
After retiring from athletics, he began a career as a businessman and started a wheelchair manufacturing company. He died of cancer on October 1, 2006.[2]
In 2013, Viger was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[3]
References
edit- ^ Order of Canada citation
- ^ CBC news story of his death
- ^ Class of 2013 Inductees Archived 2013-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit- André Viger at the International Paralympic Committee
- André Viger at the Canadian Paralympic Committee
- André Viger at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
- André Viger at Olympedia (archive)
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