Canada

By Patsy Currelly Hand

Cobourg Angels, Junior Angels, & Surrounding Teams 

1987 was a very successful year for the Angels.  With the loss of a few players and the addition of a few, the Angels were successful in acquiring another Ontario Senior Tier II championship vs. Sarnia.  Devlin pitched all games during the championship with 30Ks, 6 walks. The team were finalists in Senior Tier I with Elaine being named MVP pitching 43 innings. The team also were Metro League Champs.  Members of this team were:  Nancy Cronin, Patsy Currelly, Suzanne Morrow, Leah Anne Oulahen, Jacki Oulahen, Elaine Devlin, Barb Snedden, Jackie Dusenbury, Nancy Jane Dalgarno, Lynn Tracey, Debbie Gillis, Jennifer Dalgarno, Vicki Wodzak, Coaches: Ray Bickle, Jim Morrow, John Hayden, Scorer Sharon Greavette. 

As Paul Currelly was not on the field with the Angels, he along with veteran Angels, Faye Gaudet, Jan Bradford, current Angel Suzanne Morrow and Bill Zinkie formed the Cobourg Junior Angels.  This gave girls an opportunity to play rep ball in the squirt, novice, bantam, midget and juvenile division.  The current Angels put on clinics to teach girls the basics.  Paul spearheaded a new league, the Lakeshore Girls Softball Association and contacted centres along the lakeshore for the Cobourg girls to compete with.  This organization continues today and has grown to include house league teams.  

1988 brought with it many changes. The team moved up to Senior Tier I and played in a league which included teams from Chinguacousy, Cedar Hill, Agincourt, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Bramalea, Tonawanda (New York), Dorchester, St. Clements, Oakville, Kitchener, and St. Catharines.  Many weekends were spent on the ballfield playing double headers with the western teams.  Sandy Claus pitcher/player/coach joined the coaching team as well as Art Dalgarno (scorer).  

Paul Currelly returned to coach first base, Morrow on third.  They were Ottawa tournament champs and led their division throughout the year.  In the Tier I Ontario championships they went to the finals and lost to Oakville 4-2. Elaine Devlin was MVP at this tournament and was subsequently picked up by Oakville to go to the Canadians in Newfoundland.  She had an ERA of 0.64 over 42 innings. 

1989 marked the end of an era.  The team did well, winning the Milverton Classic Tournament, they ended up 2nd in the Senior Tier I league.  Elaine was picked up by BC to go to a New Zealand International Tournament and Jackie Oulahen got a tryout with the Canadian National team to represent Canada at the worlds, however it was not to be as she fractured her finger before tryouts. As a team, things started to break down off the field. During the season, Patsy and Paul Currelly decided it was probably going to be their last year. They didn't announce this so no one else on the team really knew. 

At the end of the season, a group of players decided that they weren’t happy with the direction the team was going and a handful of players called a player meeting to voice their opinions about their desire to invoke a staff change. As with many successful teams, individual egos can cloud good judgment and greed can replace gratitude. Comments were made that did not “sit well” with everyone.  The result was the Currelly’s followed through with retiring from the team. Jim Morrow and John Hayden followed.  Others left the team, too, including star pitcher, Elaine Devlin. The players were left without a coach and without enough players to field a team. 

Fortunately for them, the 1990 season progressed somewhat as planned.  Harnden and King agreed to sponsor the team.  A team from Scarborough coincidentally named the Angels had folded due to lack of players and they contacted the Cobourg girls to see if they could join forces.  Charlie Fraser stepped into coach as well as ex-Angel Marg Matthews, and former Angel pitcher Janice Crosgrey returned. The team did well and played in the Senior Tier I loop for regular season play and were able to capture the Ontario Senior Tier I Championship and went to the Canadians finishing 5th overall.  

Members of this team were:  Teresa Hutchison, Tami Waters, Su Morrow, Nancy Jane Dalgarno, Jennifer Dalgarno, Kirsten Leis, Nancy Cronin, Marilyn Lang, Jackie Dusenbury, Jackie Oulahen, Isobel Nichols, Janyce Gunn, Barb Sneddon, Janice Crosgrey, Sherry Hoffman. (Mary Jo McCarthy, Lyn McMahon, Wendy Dobbin and coach Marg Skillen were picked up for the Canadian Championships). At provincials, Isabel Nichols was the batting champion and Jackie Oulahen was named MVP. The Senior Angels continued for the 1991 season and competed in the Senior Tier I league but due to lack of players they folded after that season. 

The Junior Angels organization however picked up the torch.  1990 was an amazing year for the Sophomore Junior Angels coached by Paul Wakely and Henry Heideman.  Having gone to the finals in 1988 and 1989, they successfully won the Ontario title vs St. Catharines .  Marianne McMillan was the tournament MVP batting .471. Members of this team were: Marianne McMillan, Launa Foreman, Christina Winkworth, Tracey Davis, Lorrie Calbury, Lori Hibbard, Dianne Gray, Charlene Winkworth, Kelly Moore, and Karen Rose.

1992 saw the coaching duo of Paul Currelly and Jim Morrow reunite on the field to coach the Junior Angels Wimpy Mineral Intermediate team and later the Morrow Transport Intermediate Angels, along with coach Bryan Rose.  They continued to coach together until the 1995 season.  

1994 brought another Ontario title home to Cobourg.  The Jr. Angel Junior Tier II team coached by Pat Mowat were successful in capturing the title against Owen Sound.  Kristen Buttars captured the top pitcher award in the tournament and Connie Sturzenegger was the top hitter batting .667, including 1 HR, 3 triples and 6 singles.  Members of this Ontario Championship team were:  Kristen Buttar, Sharon Taylor, Connie Sturzenegger, Angie Adams, Anne Macklin, Janice McIvor, Racquel Nelson, Joanne Chadwick, Kelly Bax, Krissy Doherty, Kerri-Lee Dahmer, Ted Hook (coach) and Pat Mowat (coach). 

As time progressed and there was no longer a Senior Angel team, the “Junior” was dropped from the Angel team title.

2000 brought another Ontario title to Cobourg in Bantam Tier II, coached by Steve Jones, Joe Brouwers, Faye Gaudet and Greg Oulahen. The team beat Brampton in the finals and the team members were:  Amy Shannon, Stephanie Jones, Melissa Henke, Kristel Gallagher, Sarah Winter, Sarah Clarke, Julia Hayden, Liz Oulahen, Kelly Nalysnyk, Megan Brouwers, Dana Spicer, Karlee Haynes and Laura Burnham.   

In 2003, another Ontario Championship Gold medal was achieved by a Cobourg Angel team.  In the Midget category, the Angels defeated Ajax in extra innings to claim the title.  Members of this team were:  Arianne Allen, Alice Sutcliffe, Dana Spicer, Sarah Clarke, Amy Shannon, Stephanie Jones, Jessalyn Glinski, Sarah Winter, Kelly Nalysnyk, Dawn Armstrong, Erica Prins, Head coach Bill Shannon, Manager Susan Spicer, and assistant coaches Steve Jones, Andrew Allen, and Paul Currelly.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Dave Clarke’s Angels accomplished 3 consecutive Ontario Titles in Junior Tier II, a feat not previously achieved in the history of the Angels.  Members of this very talented team were in 2008:  Erica Dewey, Nicole Blake, Erin Dewey, Lisa Clarke, Allie Rutherford, Alex Oosterhof, Breann Coulson, Sarah Clarke, Sam Harrison, Christina Murchie, Taylor Cook, Coaches Dave Clarke, Steve Jones, Kerry McDonald and Angie Adams Darlinson (asst. coach).  

The 2009 team won four straight games to clinch their second Junior Tier II Ontario title.  Christina Murchie pitched all four games beating Halton Hills, Cambridge, Brampton and Ancaster. The highlight of the final game was an out of the park home run by Erin Dewey but it was her sister, Erica Dewey, who earned the tournament MVP.  This team included:  Erica Dewey, Nicole Blake, Erin Dewey, Lisa Clarke, Allie Rutherford, Gina Maloney, Sam Harrison, Nikki Wilson, Christina Murchie, Taylor Cook. Head Coach Dave Clarke, coach Steve Jones, Assistant coach Sarah Clarke and Manager Kerry McDonald.  

2010 would bring yet another Ontario Junior Tier II title to this team.  An achievement yet to be matched by any Angel team, past or present.  The Angels would beat Brampton in the final by a huge margin of 12-5!  Team members were:  Allie Rutherford, Lisa Clarke, Nikki Wilson, Taylor Cook, Erin Dewey, Jess McIntyre, Erica Dewey, Christina Murchie, Julia Bateman, Gina Maloney, Nicole Blake, Sam Harrison, Coach, Dave Clarke, Steve Jones, Mike Murchie and Manager, Kerry McDonald. 

Most recently, the Cobourg Angels represented the Town winning the Eastern Canadian Softball Championship, Novice Tier 2 in 2017 and were coached by Faye Gaudet, Kate Reed, Kristen Lalande and Chris Lalande. Players included Amelia Pettipas, Reagan Lalande, MacKenzie Mamers, Braelyn Farrell, Megan Geurts, Taylee Herman, Grace Rice, Ava Hughes, Megan Sheehan, Macie Hackney, Lilah Klassen, Kaycee Craig, (Madison Depencier from the Chatham Eagles was picked up for the Canadians).  Depencier won the top pitcher and batting recognition but it was Cobourg’s Reagan Lalande who would win the overall MVP honours for the tournament.  

The Cobourg Junior Angels organization continues to this day with both house league and rep teams in the mite to midget division.  What began as a dream for one man has flourished into an organization where girls not only learn and enjoy the game of softball but discover the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play and a positive work ethic, building self-esteem and confidence.  

Many, many Angels have returned to the ball field to pass these values to the next generation either as a coach, a manager, scorekeeper, executive member or supporter. The positivity of sport continues.

Cobourg Angels
1987      Ontario Senior Tier II Gold medalists vs Sarnia, Ontario Senior Tier I finalists vs Dorchester. Ontario Regional Gold Medalists vs Belleville, Metro League Champions.
1988      Ontario Senior Tier I Silver Medalists vs Oakville, Ottawa Tournament Champions
1989      Eastern Division Senior Tier I League Champions, Milverton Classic tournament champions vs St. Catharines
1990      Ontario Senior Tier I champions 

Cobourg Junior Angels Ontario Champions 1990-2020
1990      Ontario Sophomore (previously Juvenile) Championship
1994      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2000      Ontario Bantam Tier II Championship
2008      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2009      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2010      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2017      Eastern Canadian Novice Tier II Championship

Updated August 2020

Mandy Marie Bujold was born July 25, 1987 in Cobourg to Roger and Brigitte Bujold. She had two older brothers. The family liuved in Port Hope, then moved to Moncton, NB where she spent her youth and then to Kitchener, ON where they settled in 2002.

In Moncton her dad hung a heavy bag for her two brothers to pound away on. Mandy at 10, was drawn to it and was on it all the time. In 2004 Mandy was introduced to the sport of boxing and began training. Her first fight was in 2005 when she won at the Brampton Cup Tournament. In 2006 she won the Canadian Junior boxing title in the 50kg class. 

In 2007 Bujold won the senior Canadian title in the 50 kg class and gold at the American Women’s Continental Championships. In 2008 she made her first appearance at the AIBA Women’s World Championships. She has made almost annual appearances since. Her best result was 2014 when she finished top 8.

Mandy’s career highlight came in 2011 at the Pan American Games when she won gold. It was the first-time women’s boxing was included at that multi-sport competition. In 2013 she was the Canadian Golden Gloves Champion. In 2014 Bujold earned another multi-sport medal when she captured bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. That year Mandy finished Top 8 in the International Boxing Association World Championships.

In 2015 Bujold successfully defended her Pan Am Games title and became the first female boxer to win 2 gold medals at the Pan Ams. In March 2016 she earned an Olympic berth with a gold medal win at the American Continental Qualifier. At the Olympics Mandy ranked #2 in the world, made it to the flyweight quarterfinals. She became ill the night before and ended up losing her match. In 2017 she won silver at the Continental Championships.

Bujold took some time to get married and then to have a child in November 2018. The 11-time Canadian champion and Boxer of the Year wanted to earn a berth on the Canadian Team to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Boxing Canada wanted her to move to Montreal to train but Mandy didn’t want to be apart from her family. So, she paid for the training costs herself and asked the public for financial support.

Bujold trained hard in preparation for the Olympic qualifiers.  In 2019 she won silver at the International Balkan Tournament. In 2019 she won gold in the 51kg weight class at the Canadian Olympic Qualifier. In early February 2020 at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament at Debrecen, Hungary Mandy earned a bronze. Fifteen years and 165 fights behind her, Mandy needed at least a fourth-place finish to qualify for the 2020 Olympics and become the only Canadian female boxer to earn her way to 2 straight Olympics. And then Covid hit. 

Bujold was prepared to compete at the Americas Olympic Qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 postponed Olympics. Mandy was not included in the world ranking list that would now be used to allocate Olympic quota spots because she had been on maternity leave while the events that would count had been held. Mandy appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that any decisions made about Olympic boxing qualification needed to include accommodation for women who were pregnant or postpartum during the qualification period.

And in 2021 at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics Mandy ranked 17th.

During her athletic career she received a number of other awards Including the 2016 KW Citizen of the Year, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, Oktoberfest Women of the Year (sports category), 2x KW Athlete of the Year, WOW award recipient, and alongside other local VIPs, had “The Golden Bujold” burger named after her by The WORKS Gourmet Burger in Uptown Waterloo.

Updated September 2024
 

Amateur Fights Held in Victoria Hall’s Beautiful Opera House!

It may be hard to imagine, but some sixty years ago fight nights were among the entertainment highlights for visitors to Victoria Hall.

One didn't have to look far for an eager audience or even competitors. In the first half of the 20th Century most of the fights took place at the schoolyards in the area. In the 1940’s and 1950’s Mr Craig taught boxing on the top floor of the Sutherland Block. The Sutherland Block was built by John Sutherland, one-time Mayor and Town Clerk. The Customs House was located in Cobourg for many years as was the Smith Junior Ltd, a soda fountain equipment and syrup company and Bastian Brothers. Mr Craig lived and operated a grocery business in Cobourg. His boxing ring had regular matches between locals. The Sutherland block was located at Charles St on the west side of Division St. 

Some of the boxers in the 1950s included Bruce Richardson, Billy McBride and Billy Brisbin. The referees for an October 1952 fight card at the Recreational Center were Timer Fox and Jim Miskelly.

On June 1, 1953 Jim Miskelly held a meeting that led to the formation of the Cobourg Boxing Club. Home became the Market Building south of Victoria Hall. There was a legal sized ring for sparring and training plus speed bags and heavy bags. It was a haven for the young men who had grown up with their dads away at war.

Another boxing team was created and stationed at the Ordinance Depot. Newspaper articles describe boxers fighting at Kingston and Borden.

Cpl Ronnie Headley who was coach of the No 26 C.O.D hockey champs was formerly one of Canada’s outstanding boxers. He was born in Ottawa and started boxing at 14. He turned pro at 19 in 1929. Over the next 6 years he fought 97 times and according to the Ottawa Citizen lost only 2x. In a tour of the British Isles he won 12, lost 1, drew 1. BoxRec records 26 pro welterweight bouts between 1925-1935, 14 wins (4KOs) and 12 losses (4KOs). Headley retired in 1958 to Cobourg.

Emerson Charles and his younger brother, George Charles were among the best of the local fighters. Emerson "Chief" Charles went on to fight professionally out of Patterson, New Jersey, compiling a very respectable record in 1948-1953 of 16 decisions; 8 by knockout, 11 losses, 3 by knockout and 3 draws. He fought a total 121 rounds in 30 professional fights as a middleweight at numerous eastern U.S venues including Madison Square Gardens (2) & St Nicholas Arena (4) in NYC, Coney Island Velodrome in Brooklyn NY and Red Wing Stadium in Rochester NY. In one memorable bout at the Arena in Philadelphia he lost a six-round decision on points to Joey Giardello, then World Welterweight Champ.

While he was still fighting out of Cobourg, local coverage had this to say about one of the “Chief's” matches…“Cobourg's new found pugilistic hero invaded the rings of Peterborough last Thursday night and scalped another victim”

Little has been recorded about George “Gung” Charles’ success in the boxing ring. One quote was “Another Indian chap from Cobourg, George Charles, won a decision. He started like a buzz saw with a two-fisted attack and showed a lovely left. It was a nice fight.”

At the University of Toronto Henry (Hank) Henshall earned the title of Featherweight Boxing Champion for four years. He came to CDCI in 1950 to direct all boy’s athletics. In 1954 he displayed the first symptoms of Muscular Atrophy. He continued to coach and teach, gradually having to cut back. He tried to build a healthy rivalry between West and East schools by organizing CDCI’s first harrier race. 200 runners participated. During the running of the second race in 1962 Henshall died. The race is called Hank’s Harrier. 

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IT'S UNANIMOUS
By Layton Dodge
November 20, 1970 Cobourg Sentinel Star

AMATEUR BOXING RETURNED TO Cobourg after a long absence Tuesday night. It was an instant hit. Nearly 200 curious fight fans turned out at Cobourg Pavilion for the seven-bout card promoted by Fred Richardson of the new North-East Athletic Club. They were not disappointed.

The fourteen boxers responded with rousing matches that always made up in action what they may have lacked in finesse. If crowd reaction was the sole judge, the semi-final bout between Cobourg's John Taylor and Toronto's Luis Reed rated the headliner of the evening. Taylor, in only his second fight, became the first North-East AC member to savor victory when he scored a unanimous and popular decision over the fancy-stepping Jamaican.

In his first scrap before his hometown fans, the 167-pound Taylor really won the crowd and the bout when he caught Reed with a booming right uppercut in the second round and knocked the Toronto boxer on the canvas. Following a close opening round, Taylor opened up in the second and controlled the fight thereafter. A flurry of punches by Taylor midway in the second round took most of the starch out of Reed and put him on the defensive. The Cobourg boxer had Reed in trouble again in the third round, staggering him twice with several combinations.

In the main event, 125-pound Tom Bland Jr. of Toronto Pioneer Club earned a unanimous verdict over John Biel of Oshawa. The loser didn't quite belong in Bland's class, although he did show an ability to absorb punishment well. Biel did land several solid blows in the bout but wound up with a bloody nose in return. It marked the second straight win this month for the 23 year old Bland. 

Three other Blands also appeared on the card in preliminaries. Fourteen-year-old Jimmy won a split decision from Curtis Redman Cress, posting his fourth consecutive victory in the process. Albert Bland, 21, dropped a split decision to Joe Rumundi of Toronto in a welterweight bout. David (Spider) Bland was overpowered by 17 year old John Riley of Toronto. 

Riley stopped Bland with a solid right and was awarded a TKO at 1:25 of the first round. Riley, who outweighed his opponent by 11 pounds, is trained by Bill Felstein, brother of Bob "Pretty Boy" Felstein, contender for the Canadian heavyweight championship. "He has a killer instinct," Felstein pointed out after the bout in reference to Riley. "I have to take some of it out of him and teach him how to box. For Riley, who's been lifting weights since he was 12 and looked every bit the part, it was only his second fight. 

Despite a lack of conditioning and training, heavyweight Ralph Miller of Cobourg stepped in against Oshawa's Tom Bouckley and gave an excellent account of himself, even though beaten on a split decision. Lightweights Paul Ferguson and David Quinlin, both of the North-East Athletic Club, flailed away for 3 rounds in another bout. Appropriately, the match ended in a draw. Both boys tired noticeably in the final round.

Cobourg officials for the fights included judge Glen Dafoe, who fought 55 times as an amateur; and old-timer Jack Henning, former Canadian middleweight champion in the 1920s.

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Moving On
By Layton Dodge
September 12, 1972  Cobourg Sentinel Star

EFFECTIVE TODAY. FRED RICHARDSON is moving his large family and the base of his small North East Athletic Club operations to Oshawa. Father of 11 children and the revival of amateur boxing in this area, Richardson is returning to live in the city where he formerly had a gym and a boxing club on Court Street.

“I’m not moving because I don’t like it here” Richardson emphasized.” It’s the travelling I want to cut down on,” he noted. Fred has been commuting from his residence at RR3 Baltimore to work at General Motors for more than two years. "I'll have my roots in Oshawa but, for sure, I want the boxing club to carry on here," Richardson told the Sentinel-Star on Wednesday. "Whatever I can do to help, I'll do it and there are ways; he said. 

The North East AC will be continued in Oshawa. Richardson expects to have a gym in Oshawa and to join forces with the Oshawa club's Ron Cyr with whom he's been closely associated in the past anyway. Heavyweight Ralph Miller, who has been an active member of the North East AC almost from inception more than two years ago, is expected to travel once a week to Oshawa for sparring sessions. So is Roy Sanders, a middleweight.

The two boxers, who'll likely work out here on their own, could be joined by Danny Washburn. In any event, Richardson intends to use the Cobourg district fighters in his monthly boxing promotions in Oshawa starting October 17.

The switch to Oshawa will be yet another stop for the North East AC. It's operated at one time or another out of Fenella, the Lions Scout Hall in Cobourg and out of Richardson's basement where he had his own home-built ring and bags set up.

Boxing never really caught on here in a big way. Many boys and young men tried the sport but few stayed at it for long. It's a game requiring mental and physical toughness only a minority care to bear. Richardson was disappointed that fine prospects like John Taylor and Mike Boyle didn't pursue boxing further but he never became overly discouraged. He always maintained that the number of boxers who trained with him was higher than in most centres of comparable size.

Richardson promoted several shows here. Only the first at the Pavilion and the one held at Cobourg Arena in May of 1971 could be termed successful at the box office. He took a financial bath in his latest endeavor this summer.

"Oshawa and the North East AC will work as a unit, especially in promotions and in training together at least once a week” assured the ring veteran who's been connected with the fight game for nearly 14 years. "You probably haven't heard the last of me," Richardson exclaimed. "I'll come back, I hope, and it's only a hope at the moment, to promote a show here before Christmas."

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DAN WASHBURN FIGHT

Danny Washburn of the North East Athletic Club will climb through the ropes for his second amateur fight next Monday night on a boxing card in Toronto. The 16,year old CDCI East student, who lives at RR1 Castleton, will trade punches with Glenn (Rocky) Broadley of the Clairlea Boxing Club. Both boys have just one bout under their belt, so neither will have any edge in ring experience. Washburn will carry 118 pounds on his 5 foot 5 frame into the match. Danny will weigh in lighter than for his previous bout in which he battled back in the third round to earn a draw with his Toronto opponent. While acknowledging the fact that he's dropped almost 12 pounds in recent months, Washburn feels the weight loss has not sapped his strength. 

Washburn almost gave up the sport before he engaged in his first scrap. He trained under Fred Richardson for quite a spell but then stopped. Richardson talked him into turning out to train again at a Centreton ball game this summer and later lined up his first fight for him. "He has the makings of a boxer, no two ways about it," Richardson said of Washburn this week. "Danny has the guts. He will mix it up and he will train. It remains to be seen whether he has the stick-to-it power."
 

Updated August 2020

Frank was born April 7th 1958 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Peterborough Ontario. His parents, Frank and Maria, were ecstatic about the arrival of a beautiful baby boy. He would be the third child in his loving family. His sisters Anna Maria and Pia were extremely happy to have a new addition to the family.

Frank was a very quiet, adorable baby, who needed more care and attention while at home. Everyone assisted his mother at the time. Frank was very “Special” to the family. He was included and encouraged to participate in many activities with the neighborhood children. He also played with his sisters. He would laugh with anticipation and excitement whenever company was around.

Frank’s participation in the Special Olympics has brought his family pride and joy. His facial expressions displayed his indomitable spirit throughout competitions. His many gold medals attest to his strong and determined character.

Dino, the youngest has been his “Best Buddy”. The rapport the two brothers share is indescribable. Their bond is truly exceptional. 

Frank’s 60th birthday brought a reflection of happiness to his family. His parents would express their love and appreciation to everyone involved in his care.

Frank has Cerebral Palsy (CP) which affects his body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It also has impact on his fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning. Cerebral Palsy’s effect on functional abilities varies greatly. Many affected people can walk while others, like Frank, use wheelchairs.

Frank’s CP affects three of his limbs, both legs and right arm. His mobility is purely via a one-armed wheelchair to move around. He uses his left arm only to propel his wheelchair.

In the early 1980s, Frank started wheelchair racing as a recreational activity. He competed in the Eastern Ontario CP Games and to his surprise, he won most of the events in which he competed. He then went to the Ontario CP Games, where he continued to roll up the wins. Frank continued winning both at the Regional and Provincial games.

Frank was using his everyday chair to race in, which certainly placed him at a disadvantage, since most racers had specially made racing wheelchairs. They could also propel them with two arms.

Frank was classified as a CP3, which meant racers had three limbs affected. Where Frank could only wheel with one arm, his competitors all wheeled with two arms (one of their arms would be mildly affected by CP, but they were still capable of using both arms to wheel).

Unfortunately, records at this time were not recorded on computers. The Ontario CP Sports Association has some partial results. Frank has a scrapbook of newspaper clippings with his results at provincial and international meets. He has an extensive collection of medals trophies and plaques won while completing across North America and in Belgium. Douglas Wilton, the head coach/manager of the Canadian CP team, can confirm these results.

As a result of his success, Frank was invited to try out for the Canadian CP National Team. He attended their training camp in Windsor in 1983. Team coaches stated Frank needed enhanced training plus a racing wheelchair to compete at the next level in the Olympics and the World Games.

In consultation with his local coach, Frank decided he wanted to complete at the next level. This meant training would ramp up. As well, he needed to find someone to design and build a one-arm racing wheelchair, as there was none – zero – available anywhere.

It was at this point two significant changes happened for Frank:
One – Training: A two-year training program was designed by Team Canada coaches specifically for Frank and his local coach to carry out. The goal was for Frank to peak at the 1984 Olympics for the International Games for the Physically Disabled (later called Paralympics). His training was ramped up to three weight training sessions per week plus three track sessions per week. 

The training became progressively harder, and Frank met all the targets and challenges. This training was not easy, and during the winter they drove 45 minutes each way to an indoor track for training three days a week. It was a big commitment. After 1984 Frank took a short break from training, then back to another two-year program to peak again for the 1986 Cerebral Palsy Work Championship Games.

As all high-level athletes know, years of training six days a week can be an incredible grind. Add to that the fatigue of the travel for training and meets for an individual in a wheelchair. Three winter nights each week, Frank got picked up at 6:30 p.m. to drive 45 minutes to an indoor track for his training session. This involved a warm-up, stretching, that night’s track routine, cool down and back into a cold car for another 45-minute ride home. All these years of weight and track training made him tough to beat, and revealed Frank’s character.

Two – Get a Racing Wheelchair: Frank initially raced in his everyday Everest and Jennings wheelchair. A new Everest and Jennings chair was purchased and modified which resulted in Frank’s times improving. Frank received a lot of acknowledgment and praise from competitors and coaches from around the world for being able to compete at the World level without a racing chair. 

Frank’s competitors were all wheeling with two arms using the latest technology in racing chairs. We could not get a wheelchair maker or a university engineering department or a machine shop to make one. Much effort was put into finding someone who could design and make a one-armed racing wheelchair.

Then in 1985 we met an Ontario wheelchair racer who had made his own chair. This wonderful man worked diligently with us to make a one-armed racing chair for Frank. It was one of the first one-arm racing chair to be made on the planet. This was the final piece in Frank’s puzzle for success. As a one-armed racer, Frank was bucking the odds, but now he was finally on a more even playing field with the technology.

Ms Suzanne Atkinson, a regional newspaper reporter, was actively following Frank’s success and wrote about his incredible journey. Her coverage resulted in many groups and individuals in the community generously donating money to purchase this chair and cover some of the expenses.

As Doug Wilton, the Canadian head coach/manager, said, “Frank is the greatest one-armed wheeler in the world, always competing against 2-armed wheelers.”

Frank’s local coach often commented that, “Frank’s accomplishments and success can only be truly appreciated by those who saw him race or competed against him. With his extreme competitive nature, Frank is truly a courageous Olympian.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

Represented Canada internationally from 1983-1986
June 1984- Olympic Year – International Games for the Disabled (now called the Paralympics)
4x 100 metre relay race (World Record 101 seconds) Gold Medal
60 metre sprint – 6th
200 metre sprint – 10th (disqualified for a lane violation in his heat)

1984 CP Provincial Games
60 metre sprint – gold (new record)
100 metre sprint – gold (new record)
200 metre sprint – gold (new record)
400 metre sprint – gold
Shotput - bronze

1985 Michigan State Championships for the Physically Disabled
60 metre sprint – gold
200 metre sprint – gold
400 metre sprint – gold
4x100 metre relay race – gold

1986 Cerebral Palsy World Championship Games – Gits, Belgium
4x100 metre relay race – gold
400 metre sprint – silver
100 metre sprint – bronze
Team Canada won the overall Medal count with 42 Gold Medals, 16 Silver Medals and 12 Bronze Medals

1982
Presented with a Championship Certificate from the Province of Ontario in recognition of being a Provincial Champion in the field of amateur sport

1984
Presented with a Sports Jacket emblazed with a crest of the Town of Cobourg and the Bicentennial flag from the Mayor of Cobourg and the Chamber of Commerce
Presented with an Ontario Championship Certificate from the Province of Ontario
Presented with an Achievement Award Certificate from the Province of Ontario for distinguished performance in the field of amateur sport

1985
Presented with a Certificate of International Achievement from Premier David Peterson, at the Ontario Provincial Amateur Sports Banquet

1986
Presented with a Certificate of World Achievement from Premier David Peterson, at the 20th Annual Sports Awards Banquet in recognition of distinguished performance in the field of amateur sport

1987
Presented with a Civic Award from the City of Peterborough
Presented with an International Achievement Award from the Premier of Ontario

1990
Inducted into the Ontario CP Sports Athletes “Hall of Fame”

2019
Inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame

Sources: Suzanne Atkinson, reporter
   Doug Montgomery, Frank Mazza’s local coach
   Doug Wilton, Head Coach and Team Manager for Canada’s National Cerebral Palsy team (1979-2000)

Reviewed August 2020