
Mike Whitehead
#8 Offence
Before his spinal cord injury, Mike Whitehead was an avid multi-sport athlete who enjoyed basketball, volleyball, hockey, soccer, and badminton. He was introduced to wheelchair rugby when his...
- Birth DateNovember 25, 1975
- HometownWindsor, ON
- ClubOntario Thunder
- Classification3.0
- Member Since2001

Biography
Before his spinal cord injury, Mike Whitehead was an avid multi-sport athlete who enjoyed basketball, volleyball, hockey, soccer, and badminton. He was introduced to wheelchair rugby when his future teammates, including David Willsie, came to visit him at the Parkwood Rehabilitation Hospital in London, Ontario. He quickly became hooked on the contact and the level of competition and made the national team, just one year after his injury.
Mike has been a mainstay in Team Canada, have competed in five Paralympic games (2 silvers & 1 bronze), five World Championships (1 gold, 1 silver & 2 bronze) and two Parapan Am Games (1 gold & 1 silver). He has taken on a mentorship role with his younger teammates in recent years, by his sharing his experiences and knowledge of the sport.
Most recently, Mike coached Canada’s wheelchair rugby team at the Toronto Invictus Games and at the 2021 Low-Point Tournament in Switzerland. Mike is an accomplished public speaker having presented at the notable TEDxBeaconStreet event in Boston.
Career Highlights
- Silver medalist at 2022 Canada Cup
- Silver medalist at the 2022 WWR Americas Championship
- 5th Place at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games
- Silver medalist at the 2019 Lima Parapan Am Games
- Inducted into the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Hall of Fame in 2017
- Gold medalist at the 2015 Parapan Am Games
- Competed in four Summer Paralympic Games (2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Competed in four Wheelchair Rugby World Championships (1 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 Bronze)