• Created the U of A's Green and Gold Athletic Society, served as Chair of the Department of Athletics, and inaugurated the Sports Wall of Fame dinner.
• Founded the Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement at the U of A, where he is now a Professor Emeritus.
• An internationally renowned advocate for sport for persons with disabilities, founding president of the International Paralympic Committee, and a member of the International Olympic Committee.
• Received countless awards, from local to international, for his contributions to the development of sport.
• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1999.

In the world of sports for athletes with a disability, Bob Steadward, in the short span of thirty years, has become an international icon. Among his many volunteer roles, he is the Honorary President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the second largest sport organization in the world, which he served as founding President from 1989 to 2001, the latter two years of which he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Within the IOC, Dr. Steadward has served on the International Olympic Truce Foundation, the Coordination Commission for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Beijing 2008), and the IOC Sport and Environment Commission. He is an annual visiting lecturer at the International Olympic Academy Session for Young Participants held in Ancient Olympia, Greece.

Born in Eston, Saskatchewan, Bob came to the University of Alberta in 1964, where he competed for the Golden Bears track and field team as a long jumper and a sprinter. While a student in physical education, he became involved with the creation and operation of programs for athletes with disability and this interest soon became a driving force in his career. Dr. Steadward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Steadward Centre for Personal & Physical Achievement, a multi-disability sport, fitness, lifestyle and research facility situated on the campus of the University of Alberta where Dr. Steadward is now a Professor Emeritus.

In 1978 Bob served as the Chair of Accreditation for the Commonwealth Games and in 1983 was a Vice President of the World University Games (Universiade ’83). From 1983 to 1985, Dr. Steadward was the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education during which time he inaugurated and chaired the Sports Wall of Fame Dinner program, an event that has earned the reputation as the most innovative in our nation. In 1983, he created and chaired the University’s Green and Gold Athletic Alumni Society. From 1985 to 1989, Bob served as the Chair of the Department of Athletics and as President of the Alberta Universities Athletic Association.

Bob Steadward is a familiar community volunteer. Over the years, his contributions have also included posts in sports at all levels, from coach to administrator, from local to international level, involving people with and without disability, at the Universiade, Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic Games. Significantly, he conceived the idea and co-chaired the successful Bid Committee to host the 8th IAAD World Championships in Athletics, In Edmonton in 2001.

Dr. Steadward was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Edmonton Sports Hall of fame in 1996. In 1990, he was name Alberta Sports Council Volunteer of the Year, and received Canada’s Outstanding Sports Volunteer Award (the Bryce Taylor Memorial Award) in 1991. His contributions to Canada were also recognized when he received the Commemorative Medal of the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Dr. Bob Steadward’s list of recognitions includes: the Robert Jackson Award (1995), the Robert D. Steadward Award (1996), the King Clancy Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadians with Disabilities, the Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International given to those who further “understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world”, the University of Alberta’s Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate teaching (1997), as well as the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation’s Teaching Award (1997). Bob has been inducted into the University’s Distinguished Alumni Wall of Honour and has received the University’s Board of Governor’s Award of Distinction. The University of Oregon, Bob’s other Alma Mater, conferred on him their Distinguished Service Award in 2000, Dr. Steadward received a Doctor of Law Honoris causa (LLD Hons) from Leuven University (Belgium) for life long scientific and general merits in adapted physical activity and sports for persons with disability.

In 1999, Dr. Steadward was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honour, in recognition of national achievement and merit of high degree, especially in service to Canada and humanity at large.

In June of 2002, the University of Alberta conferred upon Bob, his second Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD Hons) degree.

Our university is proud to add the name of Robert D. (Bob) Steadward to its Sports Wall of Fame.