Ross Norton
Biography
Ross Norton is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist and a world champion in wheelchair basketball after a hugely successful career with the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team that spanned nearly a decade.
He was first introduced to wheelchair basketball by his physiotherapist and began playing the sport as a teenager in 1989. The Calgary native became a regular with the local club teams and went on to represent the province of Alberta at the Canada Games and the national championships. He became a full-time player for Team Canada in 1999.
Norton won back-to-back gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. He also captured a gold medal at the 2006 World Championship in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Norton retired from the National Team at the conclusion of the 2008 season following a silver medal performance at the Paralympics in Beijing, China.
While his playing days are behind him, he is still a mainstay on the court as a wheelchair basketball coach. Norton began coaching his former team the Alberta Northern Lights in 2010. He hopes to help the next generation of athletes learn and grow within the sport.
Norton was named the head coach of the Canadian Women’s U25 National Team in 2014.
Interesting Facts
- Norton is a multi-sport athlete and has also competed in sledge hockey and wheelchair tennis
Awards / Highlights
- Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 as a member of the Alberta Northern Lights for becoming the first Canadian team in history to win a championship title in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) in the United States
- Named MVP at the CWBL Open Championship in 2000
Major International Competition
| Tournament |  |
 |
 |
Other |
| Athlete | ||||
| Paralympic Games: 3 | 2 (’00, ’04) | 1 (’08) | 0 | – |
| World Championships: 2 | 1 (’06) | 0 | 1 (’02) | – |
Statistics
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3 Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2008 | 7 | 73 | 10:23 | 8/14 | 57 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 2.3 |
| 2004 | 8 | 120 | 15:04 | 5/9 | 56 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1.3 |
| 2000 | 8 | 217 | 27:11 | 11/26 | 42 | 0/0 | – | 1/8 | 13 | 3 | 20 | 23 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 23 | 2.9 |
| TOTAL | 23 | 410 | 17:51 | 24/49 | 49 | 0/0 | – | 1/8 | 13 | 8 | 37 | 45 | 16 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 49 | 2.1 |
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3 Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2006 | 7 | 45 | 6:26 | 3/7 | 43 | 0/0 | – | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0.9 |
| 2002 | 8 | 243 | 30:26 | 12/20 | 60 | 0/0 | – | 3/6 | 50 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 27 | 3.4 |
| TOTAL | 15 | 288 | 19:14 | 15/27 | 56 | 0/0 | – | 3/10 | 30 | 3 | 24 | 27 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 33 | 2.2 |
Legend: GP = Games Played; Min = Minutes; M/G = Minutes per Game; M/A = Made / Attempted; OR = Offensive Rebounds; DR = Defensive Rebounds; TOT = Total; AS = Assists; TO = Turn Overs; ST = Steals; BS = Blocked Shots;PF = Personal Foul; FO = Foul On; PTS = Points; P/G = Points per Game
Competitive Experience
| Level | Team | Location | Year(s) |
| International | Head Coach, Team Canada (Jr. Women) | Canada | 2014-Present |
| International | Player, Team Canada (Sr. Men) | Canada | 1999-2008 |
| Club (domestic) | Head Coach, Alberta Northern Lights | Alberta | 2010-Present |
| Club (domestic) | Assistant Coach, Edmonton Inferno | Alberta | 2014 |
| Club (domestic) | Player, Alberta Northern Lights | Alberta | – |
| Club (domestic) | Player, Edmonton Raiders | Alberta | – |
Career Notes
2019: 1st place at the 2019 Canada Winter Games with Team Alberta in Red Deer, Alberta (domestic, Assistant Coach)
2015: 4th place at Women’s U25 World Championship in Beijing, China. (Head coach, Team Canada
2014: 6th place at the CWBL National Championship with the Alberta Northern Lights in Burlington, Ont. (head coach, domestic)… 2nd place at the Women’s CWBL National Championship with the Edmonton Inferno in Richmond, B.C. (assistant coach, domestic)…
2013: 7th place at the CWBL National Championship with the Alberta Northern Lights in Montreal, Que. (head coach, domestic)… 7th place at the Junior West Regional Championship with Alberta B in Prince George, B.C. (head coach, domestic)…
2012: 4th place at the National Championship with Team Alberta in Richmond, B.C. (player, domestic)…
2011: 4th place at the National Championship with Team Alberta in Longueuil, Que. (player, domestic)…
2010: 5th place at the National Championship with Team Alberta in Saskatoon, Sask. (player, domestic)…
2008: 2nd place at Paralympic Games in Beijing, China (player, Team Canada)… 2nd place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Pre-Paralympic Test Series in Osnabrück, Germany (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Good Luck Beijing Invitational Tournament in Beijing, China (player, Team Canada)… 5th place at National Championship with Team Alberta in Vancouver, B.C. (player, domestic)…
2007: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at VISA Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (player, Team Canada)… Inducted into Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame as a member of the 2006 World Championship gold medal-winning Canadian Men’s National Team (player, Team Canada)…
2006: 1st place at World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Osaka Cup in Osaka, Japan (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at the NWBA Divison II Final Four National Championship with the Alberta Northern Lights in Lexington, Kentucky, United States (player, domestic)…
2005: 1st place at Americas Qualification Tournament in Colorado, USA (player, Team Canada)… Won Paralympic Sport Award for Best Team Performance as a member of the 2004 Paralympic gold medal-winning Canadian Men’s National Team (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at the NWBA Division II Final Four National Championship with the Alberta Northern Lights in Phoenix, Arizona, United States (player, domestic)…
2004: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (player, Team Canada)… 2nd place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (player, Team Canada)… Won Canadian Sports Team of the Year at the Canadian Sport Awards; and named Male Team of the Year by the International Paralympic Committee (player, Team Canada)…
2003: 1st place at Parapan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (player, Team Canada)…
2002: 3rd place at World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Americas Qualification Tournament in Vitória, Brazil (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (player, Team Canada)…
2001: 5th place at the CWBL Open Championship with the Edmonton Raiders & named All-Star in Saint John, N.B. (player, domestic)…
2000: 1st place at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at the CWBL Open Championship with the Edmonton Raiders & named MVP in Vancouver, B.C. (player, domestic)…
1999: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico (player, Team Canada)…
1998: 2nd place at the Americas Tournament in Winnipeg, Man. (player, Team Canada)… 2nd place at the National Championship with Team Alberta in Winnipeg, Man. (player, domestic)…
1995: 1st place at the Americas Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina (player, Team Canada)… 1st place at the Canada Games with Team Alberta in Jasper, Alta. (player, domestic)… 2nd place at the National Championship with Team Alberta in Saskatoon, Sask. (player, domestic)…