Derek Whitson (born 21 June 1989) is a Canadian ice sledge hockey player.

Derek Whitson
Whitson in 2015
Personal information
Born (1989-06-21) 21 June 1989 (age 35)
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
Years active2007–present
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight165 lb (75 kg)
Sport
Country Canada
SportIce sledge hockey
PositionDefence
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Para ice hockey
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Sochi Team competition
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Goyang Team competition
Silver medal – second place 2015 Buffalo Team competition
Football 7-a-side
Parapan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team competition

Whitson was born in Chatham, Ontario in 1989, with cerebral palsy. He joined the Canadian Sledge Hockey Team in 2007 after playing sledge hockey in the Windsor Ice Bullets sledge hockey program.[1] He was a member of the Canadian sledge hockey team that won the silver medal at the 2009 World Sledge Hockey Challenge,[1] as well as the one that competed in the 2010 Winter Paralympics.[1] He was also a member of team who won the gold medal in the 2013 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championships in Korea.[2] Whitson also is a player of football 7-a-side, in which he won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro.[1] He is also an avid golfer and artist, in which he has donated pieces of his art to art auctions in support of Canadian athletes.[1]

Personal life

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Whitson moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta in 2014 where he then became engaged to Tara Chisholm who is the current coach of the Canada women's national ice sledge hockey team.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Athletes". Paralympic.ca. 1989-06-21. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  2. ^ Kennedy, Ian (2013-04-22). "Whitson Wins Sledge Hockey Gold With Canada". Cksn.ca. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
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