6 stars with 'golden' résumés to enter London Sports Hall of Fame

The London Sports Hall of Fame will welcome a new class of six on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Hellenic Community Centre — a group organizers say has collectively earned more than 20 gold medals or world titles on the international stage.

“For a community our size this is a remarkable achievement,” said Hall of Fame committee chair Jay Minielly, who added he expects future classes to carry on that success.

This year’s inductees are:

• Jeff Carter — NHL all-star and Olympic gold medallist
• Maggie Mac Neil — Olympic and world champion swimmer
• Jennifer Ogg — world champion boxer
• Darda Sales — multi-sport Paralympic champion
• David Willsie — five-time Paralympian and longtime captain of Canada’s wheelchair rugby team
• Murray Young — one of Ontario’s premier rugby organizers

The Hall will also honour the city’s 2025 Spirit of Sport award winners during the event.

Londoner David Willsie says the Hall of Fame call caught him by surprise, and came with a personal touch.

“Tim Moore, my high school hockey coach at Laurier, made the call and let me know,” Willsie told CBC's London Morning. “I was blown away. A good feeling.”

Willsie grew up playing baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. In 1995, a hockey crash left him paralyzed from the chest down. He credits Victoria Hospital and months of rehab at Parkwood Hospital for helping him find a path forward — and, eventually, a new sport.

“I met a couple of crazy guys who told me about this sport called wheelchair rugby,” he said. “I came through the gym doors, saw a guy knock another guy out of his chair and he called time out when he stole the ball. I signed up that day.”

Within a few years Willsie earned a spot with Team Canada, becoming co-captain in 2001. That same year, Canada won gold at the World Championships, beating a U.S. team that “had never lost a game,” he said.

Willsie’s career includes five Paralympic Games and three medals, and he appeared in the 2005 documentary Murderball. Asked for a favourite memory, Willsie pointed to the moments on the podium, and to the people around him.

“Nothing better than being on the podium, seeing your flag and hearing your anthem,” he said. “But the friendships… being elected by your teammates for 12 straight years, it’s a huge honour.”

For multi-sport Paralympian Darda Sales, the news was a pleasant surprise, she said. "This is just a cherry on top of a great career. "

Sales won a gold medal in swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, and a silver medal in 2004 in Athens, along with multiple medals at the swimming world championships. After an injury, she launched a career in competitive wheelchair basketball winning silver at the Parapan American Games in 2015.

"Work is never something I am afraid of," she said. "I put my head down and worked really hard."

The hall of fame induction is a "huge honour" for world champion boxer Jennifer Ogg, who said her time in boxing was some of the best years of her life.

"It's recognition for my coaches, my family. It means a lot."

Ogg, who was born in London and still lives here, is a four-time national female boxing champion, and Canada's second female boxer to win the World Amateur Championships. The worlds took place in Turkey in 2002, and was one of the highlights of her career, she said.

"I appreciate being recognized by London because to me that's always felt like home," said Ogg. "I'm really honoured to be in the company of the other inductees."

• When: Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
• 5:00 p.m.: Meet-and-greet
• 6:00 p.m.: Formal program
• Where: Hellenic Community Centre, Southdale Road
• Tickets: Available via the London Sports Council website