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Two more athletes honoured on Queens Olympic Wall

A man applauds in the foreground as a family stands beneath a portrait of an Olympic wheelchair basketball athlete. The portrait is unveiled on a wall above their heads.
Family of David Rudderham at his induction on Queens Olympic Wall. Photo Ed Halverson
Ed Halverson - QCCR/CJQC - Liverpool • NS | 24-10-2023
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Two more distinguished athletes were honoured with spots on the Queens County Olympic Wall.

Portraits of Wheelchair Basketball athlete David Rudderham and Para Archery competitor Brian Ward were raised alongside the previous seven inductees in a ceremony held at Queens Place on Tuesday.

According to the municipality, the Queens Olympic Wall was created to recognize the accomplishments of high-performance athletes, coaches and officials from Queens County who have participated in World Olympic, World Special Olympic and World Paralympic Games.

The two latest additions were recognized posthumously and were represented by their families.

Rudderham, a Port Mouton native, was honoured for his participation on the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team at the 1976 Olympiad for the Disabled in Toronto.

A woman and a man stand alongside a photo of an Olympic Para Archery athlete

Family of Brian Ward at his induction in the Queens Olympic Wall. Photo Ed Halverson

Brian Ward competed as a member of the Canadian Para Archery team at the 1980 Arnhem Netherlands, 1988 Seoul, South Korea and 1992 Barcelona, Spain Paralympic Games.

Master of ceremonies for the event was retired veteran CBC Sports broadcaster, Steve Armitage.

Armitage said recognition on an Olympic Wall is important not just to acknowledge success, but to inspire others to achieve as well.

“But I think one of the key reasons and maybe the biggest reason is to inspire the next generation to someday be included on that wall,” said Armitage. “In the not too distance future, hopefully, some athlete will walk or wheel through that door, glance at that wall and say, I want to be on that wall. And will then dedicate themselves to weeks, months, years of preparation and competition to get to the elite level that you have to be to join that group on the wall.”

With the addition of Rudderham and Ward the total number of inductees on the Queens Olympic Wall is up to nine.

The wall is featured prominently when you walk into the main entrance at Queens Place and can be viewed during regular hours of operation.

To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.

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