Five Sports Invented in Canada Introduction

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Innovation in sport, as in any other human endeavour, requires the courage and vision to try something unconventional in an effort to improve the status quo. Many Canadian athletes overcame adversity and limited resources to develop new equipment that revolutionized the way a sport was played. Their adaptability and determination often improved the quality of competition, promoted the safety and well-being of athletes, and made sport accessible to people with a wider range of abilities. Sometimes these innovations occurred gradually over several generations, reflecting changing values and ideas about the role of sport in society. Other innovators single-handedly developed creative new ways of training, playing and competing that garnered such outstanding results they quickly set a new standard for performance in their sport discipline. These pioneering legacies have made many athletic pursuits more inclusive and exciting, opening doors and expanding the positive influence of sport in Canadian society.