Josh Cassidy

Last updated
Josh Cassidy
2017 London Marathon - Josh Cassidy (2).jpg
Cassidy at the 2017 London Marathon
Personal information
Born (1984-11-15) 15 November 1984 (age 40) [1]
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Sport
DisabilityLegs are partially paralyzed as a result of spinal chord damage from neuroblastoma cancer at birth.
Medal record
Athletics
Parapan American Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Toronto 800 m T54
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Toronto 1500 m T54
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 Toronto 5000 m T54
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2010 Delhi 1500m T54

Josh Cassidy (born November 15, 1984, in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian Paralympic wheelchair racer, [2] motivational speaker, artist, and actor. [3]

Contents

He is a 31 time Canadian Champion competing in the middle to long distance events. He has been National Champion and held National records at times throughout his career in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m and Marathon. [4]

In 2005, he was carded as a Canadian National Team athlete, and competed in his first world championships in 2006 in Assen, Netherlands.

In 2010, Cassidy won the 2010 London Marathon with a time of 1:35:21 seconds. [5] In 2012, he won the 2012 Boston Marathon wheelchair race with a time of 1:18:25, which at the time became the fastest wheelchair marathon time ever recorded, though didn't count as a world record due to the Boston Marathon course being ineligible for world records. His record stood for five years.

Cassidy represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, finishing 10th in the 5000m, 12th in the 1500m, and 17th in the 800m. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Cassidy placed 12th in the marathon, 20th in the 5000m, 10th in the 1500m, and 5th in the 800m. [1]

In 2019, he won the Los Angeles Marathon. [6]

Cassidy joined the Canadian team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and was named as co-flagbearer for the opening ceremony alongside weightlifter Maude Charron. [7] He came in 4th in the men's T54 marathon. [8]

Personal life

Josh Cassidy was born in Ottawa on November 15, 1984. He was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer in the spine and abdomen weeks after birth. He was given a very low chance of survival but was declared cancer-free after 5 years of remission, but it left his legs partially paralyzed. He lived across Canada during his father's career in the military as a fighter pilot, where they resided at several base locations. When Josh was nine, his family settled on a farm in Bruce County, Ontario. Josh is the oldest of ten children. [3]

He has graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelor of Applied Arts. [9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Josh Cassidy". Canadian Paralympic Committee . Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  2. "Josh Cassidy - IPC Athlete Bio". ipc.infostradasports.com. 23 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bio". Joshua Cassidy. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  4. "Joshua Cassidy". Athletics Canada. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  5. "Canada's Cassidy wins wheelchair race in London". CBC News . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  6. "Kenya's Elisha Barno and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei win 2019 Los Angeles Marathon". Los Angeles Marathon. 2019-03-24. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  7. "Maude Charron, Josh Cassidy named Canada's flag-bearers for Commonwealth Games". CBC Sports . July 21, 2022.
  8. "Marathon - Para Men's T53/T54 Results". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  9. "Official Website - About". Archived from the original on 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2014-06-22.