Bart McNichol
Competition | 1998
Bart began competing in wheelchair sports in 1963 when quads were limited to certain events based on a belief that these athletes did not have the endurance or strength to safely compete. Although Table Tennis was his major sport initially, as various other opportunities opened up for quads, Bart competed both nationally and internationally in track; field and slalom events. The stellar results were largely responsible for his nomination and induction into the Wheelchair Sports USA Hall of Fame.
Bart’s career spanned more than twenty-five years, including as a member of the USA Wheelchair Team to five Paralympic competitions: 1968 in Tel Aviv, Israel; 1972 in Heidelberg, Germany; 1980 in Arnhem, Netherlands; 1984 in Stoke Mandeville, England; and 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. He also competed in multiple Pan American Wheelchair Games, including Kingston, Jamaica in 1971 and Mexico City in 1975. In addition, Bart competed in every National Wheelchair Games from 1963 to 1981.
In competition in the NWG, Bart garnered three Gold Medals in Table Tennis competition; one Gold Medal in javelin and one Gold Medal in Bowling. He won three Silver Medals in Table Tennis and one Silver Medal in Bowling.
He also won seven Bronze Medals in Table Tennis; three Bronze Medals in Bowling and one Bronze Medal in Bowling. In international competition over the years, Bart accumulated five Gold Medals in Table Tennis, javelin and slalom. He garnered three Silver Medals in Table Tennis and Javelin; and six Bronze Medals in Table Tennis, Discus and Slalom.
Bart was another of those trailblazers who proved that athletes with quadriplegia could compete and endure with the best of them. Current athletes can thank the likes of Bart McNichol for making that opportunity possible.
