Lou Mulvihill (center) unveils three exhibits featuring artifacts from his sledge hockey career with the help of local MPP Billy Denault (left) and Renfrew Mayor Tom Sidney
Renfrew’s myFM Centre is now the home of a permanent tribute to one of parasport’s great innovators.
Members of the community joined Renfrew Mayor Tom Sidney, local member of provincial parliament Billy Denault, and local Museum & Archive Specialist Glenn Charron to commemorate a new exhibit honouring homegrown sledge hockey champion Lou Mulvihill.
The three-case display, which Mulvihill says he and Charron have been working on for over a year, shows off the remarkable journey and the lasting impact he had on sledge hockey in Canada, including the progression from his first “blue bomber” sled to his own custom-made model and sticks that improved the speed and efficiency of the game for all.
It was his ability to develop solutions on the fly that took Mulvihill, by his own description “an average athlete,” from being enthralled by the glide of the sled during a 1987 demonstration he attended to a 15-year pro career that saw him captain Team Canada against the world’s best at the Paralympics and World Championships.
He hopes the permanent fixture, which can be found right next to the town’s new sledge hockey inclusive rink, will be the inspiration for others in the community to take their first steps towards something great for themselves.
The town invites residents and visitors to explore the exhibit and be inspired by Mulvihill’s legacy — on the ice and beyond.
(written by Kasey Egan)