Athlete.
Born at Winkler on 25 July 1939 to Peter W. and Eva Reimer, he became a paraplegic in 1958 due to a motorcycle accident. In September 1964, after a second accident where he broke his knee, he was admitted to the Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital for four months. Afterwards, as an outpatient, he was encouraged by physiotherapist June Rankine-Wilson to train for international paraplegic athletic competitions, since Canada had previously had no athletes participating.
As a member of the Winnipeg Wheelchair Sports Club, he was already enjoying archery at the Fort Whyte Archery Club and playing team basketball at the rehabilitation hospital. Subsequently, through the coaching of remedial gymnast Cyril Barrington, he developed skills in weightlifting and became involved with the Paraplegic Sports Association.
In 1966, he reached eligibility to compete in the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Jamaica. Before he left for the event, he was honoured at a special rally at the rehabilitation hospital, where Winnipeg Blue Bombers star quarterback Kenny Ploen presented him with a plaque acknowledging his achievement. For the Jamaica games, Reimer entered the lightweight weightlifting contest, the javelin throw, and the archery match, and won the bronze medal in javelin. It was at those Games that he was named Canadian athlete of the year. In 1968, he again entered international competition, this time in Israel. In both of those events, he was the first Canadian to participate.
He died at Winnipeg on 11 August 2006. He donated his body for scientific research.
“Paraplegic becomes enthusiastic athlete,” News Bulletin, Sanatorium Board of Manitoba, February 1966.
“Big rally for Ben,” News Bulletin, Sanatorium Board of Manitoba, July-August 1966.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 August 2006.
“The history of Para sport in Canada,” David Legg, Sport Information Resource Centre, 27 November 2023.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 2 February 2024
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