Parksville's Michelle Stilwell has been named one of seven recipients of Canada’s highest sporting honour, the Order of Sport.
Other Canadian athletes to receive the Order of Sport include Erik Guay (Alpine Skiing); Kevin Martin (Curling); Christine Sinclair (Soccer); and Darren Zack (Softball). Martha Billes (Sport Administration) and Ted Nolan (Ice Hockey) were named in the building category.
Stilwell, along with all the inductees, will be presented the Order of Sport and be formally inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 29, at the Canadian Museum of History during the 69th Annual Order of Sport Awards.
"Still wrapping my head around this," Stilwell said via social media. "I’m incredibly honoured to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and receive the Order of Sport.
"For nearly 20 years, I had the privilege of competing at the highest level of Paralympic sport. Those years gave me more than I could have ever imagined —lessons from disappointment, connection, and friendships, purpose, and pride. Sport has shaped nearly every part of who I am. From the adrenaline of competition, to the resilience built through setbacks, to the lifelong friendships made along the way — being an athlete has given me so much."
Born in Winnipeg, Stilwell grew up playing everything from ringette and baseball to track and field. At 17, her world changed when a spinal cord injury left her a quadriplegic. However, sport never left her side. Instead, it opened a new door.
During rehab, she discovered wheelchair basketball and quickly found her stride. By 1997, she moved to Calgary to train with national team members under coach and fellow Hall of Famer, Tim Frick. Her commitment paid off with a gold medal at the1998 World Championships, followed by another at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Stilwell was the first quadriplegic to play the sport at the international level.
After Sydney, complications related to her spinal cord injury forced her to step away from basketball, but life had more chapters to write. In 2001, she welcomed her son, Kai, and later that year, the family settled in Parksville. Motherhood came first — but her love of sport came calling again when she met her coach Peter Lawless, who got her into wheelchair racing. In just two years, she went from novice to world champion.
Racing in the T52 class, Stilwell competed in everything from the 100m to the marathon, dominating sprint events, smashing world records, and winning her first Paralympic gold medals in racing at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the 100-metre and 200-metre. These victories made her the first Canadian Paralympian to win gold medals in two different summer sports. Over four Paralympic Games (2000, 2008, 2012, 2016), Michelle collected six gold and one silver medal. She added eight more gold and two silver medals from four World Championships. It was a career that reflected not just athletic excellence, but the evolution of the Paralympic movement itself, one she’s proud to have helped shape.
Stilwell drive to lead didn’t stop at the finish line. In 2013, she was elected to British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, serving two terms as MLA for Parksville-Qualicum and as Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation. As the only female Paralympian globally known to compete while serving in elected office, she brought her athlete’s mindset to politics, leading with clarity, empathy, and lived experience. She championed accessibility, inclusive employment, and policies that improved the lives of people with disabilities.
"This recognition means more than I can say, especially knowing how many trailblazers have come before me and how many continue to push boundaries every day," said Stilwell. "With the addition of the class of 2025, only 758 people are recognized in the Hall, I am the 18th Paralympian. That is not lost on me. I’ve been lucky to witness (and be part of) the incredible growth of the Paralympic movement in Canada and beyond. To see how far we’ve come in visibility, respect, and representation is something I’ll always carry with me — and continue to fight for."
A public speaker, advocate, and ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation and Act Now BC, Stilwell was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
