Stan Holcomb
Athlete (2024)
Wheelchair & Para Sports
In 1971, Stan moved into Saskatoon at the age of 22. He began working with the Saskatoon Blades hockey club as a scorekeeper and clock operator for several years. Stan became one of the founding members of the Saskatoon Blades Booster Club, helping to set up fan buses to travel with their team. In 1972, he also began his near 43-year career in prosthetics with the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, first as a technician and then a Certified Prosthetist. His expertise with prosthetics along his passion for sports, led Stan to enjoy many wonderful years of being a competitive athlete and throughout encouraging and empowering other amputees to further their own sporting interests.
Stan joined many wheelchair sports teams during the 1970’s, playing tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Which led to competing in those sports nationally and internationally. Wheelchairs used at that time were old hospital wheelchairs, modified for sports by cutting the backs down. He played competitively against fellows like Rick Hanson and Terry Fox. During a 200m running competition, Fox fell several times. Stan noticed the design of Fox’s waist belt and strap on his prosthetic leg was the cause, so he drew out a new strap diagram for Fox to take home to update the limb so his running could improve.
In 1971, Stan was an athlete with Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association. Stan competed at the National Wheelchair Games and became a member on the Pan American Canadian Wheelchair Team. He competed at two Pan American games, first in 1971 (Jamaica) where their basketball team won bronze, and again in 1973 (Peru). Stan continued to play on wheelchair basketball teams from Saskatoon and Saskatchewan for 15 years.
In the summer of 1976, Stan went to Toronto, Ontario to compete in the first ever Paralympics (at that time known as the Olympiad for the Physically Disabled). Representing Canada in competitions for shot put, discus, javelin the 100-and 200-meter races. Stan won 2nd place in the 100m and finished 6th in javelin. With Stan’s professional expertise, he had tailored a prosthetic running leg for his teammate, Joe Harrison (Saskatoon) who had placed first in the 100m.
In 1976, Stan was an establishing member and athlete of the Canadian Amputee Sports Association and competed on the Sask Provincial Amputee Volleyball team. Their team won six Canadian championships. Stan also played competitive wheelchair tennis, winning both singles and doubles championships.
Stan discovered a love of downhill skiing. He was a founding member and athlete of the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing and in 1980, Stan was one of the first disabled skiers in Canada to be certified as a ski instructor. In 1981 he was invited to try out for Canada’s Downhill Amputee team. He was unable to join the team at that time, but he continued to enjoy skiing with his family well into his senior years.
With his expertise as a prosthetist and sports knowledge as athlete, Stan joined the Canadian Paralympic Teams Medical team as a team Prosthetist supporting more than 60 amputee athletes for both the 1988 World Games in Seoul, Korea, and 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.
Stan is an avid golfer. He joined the Saskatchewan Amateur Golf Association in 1989 and took second in a Team Championship at Riverside. Over the years, Stan has competed in and won first place in several Men’s Open tournaments, and he achieved his first hole-in-one in Sept 2016 and a second hole-in-one July 2021. He still continues to golf today.