One of the most celebrated athletes in our province’s history has passed away.
Mel Fitzgerald, who excelled in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair track and was Newfoundland and Labrador Male Athlete of the Year, laid the groundwork in this province for para-athletes.
He won marathons in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Honolulu and represented Canada at two Paralympics, two Pan American Games and the 1984 Gold Cup in Australia. He won gold medals at each of these competitions and set two world records at the 1980 Paralympics.
He is a member of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame.
Fitzgerald died of cardiovascular disease complicated by sleep apnea. He had been living in New Zealand.
