Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring these individuals who have created this rich tradition. This year, BSHOF is celebrating its 17th year and is proud to be inducting six new honourees at their 2025 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 27, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Our next inductee is Brandon Wagner.
A graduate of Aldershot High School and the University of Illinois, this is an athlete who has shown positivity and commitment to goals throughout his career. Regularly playing basketball, hockey, and golf as a youth and high school student, in 2000, Brandon suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident that left him paralyzed. Through this challenge, he used his mother’s lesson that everything in life happens for a reason.
For Brandon, that reason was to pursue excellence within his capabilities. He states that wheelchair basketball has let him see so much and learn so much. He feels that if he were able-bodied, he wouldn’t have gone as far as he has: twelve years later, he was winning the gold medal while representing Canada in wheelchair basketball at the London Paralympics.
Brandon’s journey through the ranks in wheelchair basketball, which began only two years after the accident, was rapid. At first, he was hesitant to get involved in sport after the injury, but encouragement from others saw him begin playing with the Burlington Vipers in 2002. He started playing wheelchair basketball in order to get back into a competitive team sport that would give him the opportunity to meet people and have new experiences.
After starting with the Vipers in 2002, Brandon had his first taste of international competition in 2005 after he was selected for the Under-23 National Team, and he participated in the world championships in Birmingham, England. He played at the University of Illinois, where he studied sports management. While at Illinois, he won a national championship in 2008 and was named Illinois Student-Athlete of the Year in 2009.
Brandon found success on the world stage as he won silver at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and bronze in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. But a bigger prize lay on the horizon.
Narrowly missing out on a spot on the 2008 Paralympic team, Brandon made the Senior National Team in 2009. When he was named to the national team heading to London in 2012, Brandon realized two facts: first, this position was a result of all the support he got from family, friends, and coaches who helped him along the way; second, he recognized that after years of working hard, the real work was just starting now.
Those years of hard work and commitment to the process paid off, as he reached the pinnacle in London, bringing home the Paralympic gold.
Brandon’s success brought with it local and national awards and recognition. He was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth ll Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. He was the Burlington Sport Alliance Parasport Athlete of the year in 2013. In 2015, he was Canada’s torch bearer at the Pan American Games in Toronto. He has also been inducted into the Burlington Vipers Hall of Fame.
And now, the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Brandon Wagner into the Athlete’s category.
This year’s induction reception will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club with Steve Foxcroft as emcee. The event is sold out.
