Mel Fitzgerald Explained

Mel Fitzgerald
Honorific Suffix:	CM
Birth Date:	20 July 1953
Birth Place:	Trepassey, Newfoundland, Canada
Death Place:	New Zealand
Country:	Canada
Sport:	Athletics, Wheelchair racing

Melvin Leo Fitzgerald CM (20 July 1953 – 2 October 2023) was a Canadian Paralympic athlete.^{[1] [2]}

Biography

Fitzgerald was born in Trepassey, Newfoundland in July 1953.^[3] He competed in athletics in the 1980 and 1984 Paralympics, winning eight medals. He used a wheelchair since the age of two, when he was afflicted with polio.^[4] He was named a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 1982,^[5] and in 2018 was inducted into the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association Hall of Fame.^[6]

On 2 October 2023, Fitzgerald died from cardiovascular disease in New Zealand, where he had been living. He was 70.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Champion wheelchair racer Mel Fitzgerald advocated for people with disabilities. The Globe and Mail. Hawthorn. Tom. 12 October 2023. 12 October 2023.
2. Web site: Sheppard . Noah . Gold Medal-Winning Paralympian, Mel Fitzgerald, Passes Away . 3 October 2023 . VOCM . en.
3. News: Canadians sweep. 18. 30 July 1984. The Leader-Post. 29 January 2020.
4. News: Fitzgerald an inspiration to handicapped athletes. 41. The Leader-Post. 10 January 1981. 29 January 2020.
5. Web site: Mr. Mel Fitzgerald.
6. Web site: N.L. athletes inducted into Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association Hall of Fame SaltWire.
7. Web site: Sheppard . Noah . Gold Medal-Winning Paralympian, Mel Fitzgerald, Passes Away . 3 October 2023 . VOCM . en.