Richard Peter (Vancouver) made his international debut in para badminton at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru and won a bronze medal. In the men’s wheelchair doubles draw, Bernard Lapointe and Peter were embroiled in a tough battle with a Chilean pair but prevailed 19-21, 21-15, 21-11 to win the bronze medal. Peter is the two-time defending national champion in para badminton, which he took up after retiring from basketball at the age of 40.
He made the national wheelchair basketball team in 1994 and represented Canada in five Paralympics between 1996 and 2012, winning gold in 2000, 2004 and 2012, and silver in 2008. He was inducted into the North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame in 2009
The sport made its major Games debut in Lima before joining the Paralympic program next year in Tokyo where para badminton will make its Paralympic debut. Canada captured a total of 60 medals in Lima – 17 gold, 21 silver, and 22 bronze.
Peter is currently a BC Games Society board member and was also a wheelchair basketball coach at the BC Winter Games.