Michael Whitehead has been a mainstay on Canada’s national wheelchair rugby team for more than two decades. His medal count includes one gold, one silver and two bronze from the World Championships and two silver and one bronze from the Paralympics.

As a stalwart on Team Canada from 2001-2024, Whitehead has competed in five World Championships and six Paralympic Games that took him to Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris. He’s an experienced leader with 30 Paralympic Games on his resume.

Whitehead has also competed in two Parapan Am Games winning gold and silver.

The Harrow native was introduced to the sport of wheelchair rugby by some future teammates who visited him at the Parkwood Rehabilitation Hospital in London following a spinal cord injury.

A multi-sport athlete growing up, Whitehead gravitated to the physical contact and team concepts. He made the national team just one year after his injury.

As a kid, he enjoyed volleyball, basketball, hockey, soccer and badminton. In 1994, he led the Harrow Hawks to an ECSSA and SWOSSA volleyball championship and was named team MVP.

As a Team Canada veteran, Whitehead took on a mentorship role with younger teammates and recently coached at the Toronto Invictus Games.

He’s now joining a new team as part of the 2026 athlete’s class for the Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.