Donovan Tildesley
Canadian Paralympic swimmer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donovan Tildesley (born July 24, 1984) is a retired blind Canadian swimmer. He was the flag bearer of Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games.[1]
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Nickname | Big D | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Canadian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 24, 1984 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 166 cm (5.45 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Medley Freestyle Butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of British Columbia Dolphins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Swimming career
Personal life and education
Tildesley graduated from the University of British Columbia in spring 2008 with an English degree[4] Donovan works full-time as an insurance broker for Buntain Insurance Agencies in Vancouver.[5] He also does public speaking and is a co-owner of a small radio station in Whistler, British Columbia.[4] In May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Tildesley advocated for blind British Columbians to be given vaccine priority similar to vulnerable groups with other medical conditions.[5] Donovan is also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and is currently contracted with Virgin Cruise Lines as an Accessibility Consultant. In 2024, Tildesley portrayed a blind veteran and lent his voice for the end narration of a Heritage Minute honouring Edwin Baker.[6]
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