Garett Hickling
Canadian wheelchair rugby player (1970–2025)
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Garett Deane Hickling (September 18, 1970 – June 20, 2025) was a Canadian wheelchair rugby player who was on the Canada national wheelchair rugby team and was voted most valuable player at several World Championships (1995, 1998, and 2002). He earned a gold medal from the 2002 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden: a silver medal from the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, and a bronze medal from 2008 in Beijing, China.[1] He was the Canadian flag-bearer at the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Paralympics.[2] He competed in every Paralympics that included his sport until his retirement, representing Canada five times.[2]
Hickling (left) and USA's Bryan Kirkland, at a wheelchair rugby game | |||||||||||||
| Born | September 18, 1970 Mica Creek, British Columbia, Canada | ||||||||||||
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| Died | June 20, 2025 (aged 54) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Athlete, computer technician, machinist | ||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||
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Biography
Hickling was born on September 18, 1970.[3] He broke his neck at age 16 in 1987. He and two friends were hiking an unfamiliar British Columbia trail at night when they fell off a cliff; one of the friends died. About five years later, Hickling took up wheelchair rugby.[2] Hickling died in Toronto on June 20, 2025, at the age of 54.[4][5]
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