| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Big D | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Canadian | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1984-07-24) July 24, 1984 (age 40) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 166 cm (5.45 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Medley Freestyle Butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of British Columbia Dolphins | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Donovan Tildesley (born July 24, 1984) is a retired blind Canadian swimmer. He was the flag bearer of Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games.
Swimming career
He started swimming at the age of nine. Until 2000, he had swum in many provincial and national competitions, setting many Canadian records.
He is the current world record holder for the 800-metre freestyle and the 1500-metre freestyle.
Personal life and education
Tildesley graduated from the University of British Columbia in spring 2008 with an English degree Donovan works full-time as an insurance broker for Buntain Insurance Agencies in Vancouver. He also does public speaking and is a co-owner of a small radio station in Whistler, British Columbia. In May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Tildesley advocated for blind British Columbians to be given vaccine priority similar to vulnerable groups with other medical conditions. Donovan is also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and is currently contracted with Virgin Cruise Lines as an Accessibility Consultant. In 2024, Tildesley portrayed a blind veteran and lent his voice for the end narration of a Heritage Minute honouring Edwin Baker.
References
- "Paralympics open in Beijing". CBC News. Sympatico. 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
- ^ Tildesley, Donovan. "Biography-Donovan Tildesley" (PDF). Yellowknife Polar Bear Swim Club. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Canadian Paralympic Committee congratulates four-time Paralympic swimmer Donovan Tildesley on retirement". Newswire.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ^ Lin, Brian (2008-09-04). "Tap and Rope Guide Swimmer to Victory". University of British Columbia. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ Tildesley, Donovan (May 6, 2021). "Vaccine must be prioritized for legally blind British Columbians". The Squamish Reporter. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- W Group, CN. "New Heritage Minute Celebrates Edwin Baker". Yahoo. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
External links
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- 1984 births
- Living people
- Paralympic swimmers for Canada
- Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic silver medalists for Canada
- Paralympic bronze medalists for Canada
- Swimmers from Vancouver
- World record holders in paralympic swimming
- Paralympic swimmers with a vision impairment
- University of British Columbia alumni
- Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- S11-classified para swimmers
- St. George's School (Vancouver) alumni
- Paralympic medalists in swimming
- Canadian male medley swimmers
- Canadian male freestyle swimmers
- Canadian male butterfly swimmers
- Canadian blind people
- Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- 21st-century Canadian sportsmen
- Canadian swimming biography stubs
- Canadian Paralympic medalist stubs