Athletic Lives of Distinction - M - Z
M - R
Pinckard, Thomas '62 - Swimming
Thomas Pinckard from the Class of 1962 was an enthusiastic participant in Ridley’s football, hockey, swimming and soccer programs; but, by his own admission, he was an unheralded Ridley athlete. When asked what individual or team success he enjoyed as a student, his response was “None.” Athletic awards? “None.” Happily, he espouses the philosophy, “It is better to have played and lost than never to have played at all!” Sport taught him valuable lessons, about loyalty, humility and dedication, which he took to heart. After graduating from Ridley, he completed Canada’s Centennial Voyageur Canoe Race in 1967, a journey of 3,680 miles over 110 days. He captained both the University of New Brunswick swim and football teams, setting the CIAU record for longest punt in 1967. He was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Yet his extraordinary achievements as an athlete make up only part of this sportman’s curriculum vitae. Some of his greatest accomplishments are as a coach, sports administrator and community builder, instrumental in sports development initiatives at local and national levels. He has taken leadership roles in countless world championships, Commonwealth, Pan American and Olympic Games. We are so glad that he chose to keep playing.
“It is better to have played and lost than never to have played at all!”
P.O. Box 3013, 2 Ridley Road St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 7C3 Canada 905 684 1889
With more than 700 students from 60 countries, the largest boarding programme in Ontario and the third largest in Canada, Ridley College is a truly international, co-educational, day and boarding school of the world that prepares students for the world. It has provided enriching learning and life-shaping experiences focused on the arts, academics, and athletics since 1889. Ridley’s Lower School offers JK-Grade 8, its Upper School consists of Grade 9-PG, and Ridley graduates attend some of the top universities and colleges around the world. Ridley is the only co-ed independent boarding school in Canada and one of only three in North America authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum programme.
