Marni Abbott
Biography
Marni Abbott was named Head Coach of the Senior Women’s National Team in April 2023.
Abbott brings a wealth of coaching experience to the SWNT. She was an assistant coach with the SWNT in 2022. Further, she served as an assistant coach on the Women’s Under-25 Team in 2011, and in 2012 she was named an assistant coach on the SWNT at the Paralympic Games in London.
She has also been a part of Team BC’s coaching staff at the Canada Winter Games on six occasions, including the 2023 Canada Winter Games, where BC won gold.
In addition to her role with the SWNT, Abbott is also the head coach of the Women’s Under-25 Team.
As an athlete, Abbott had a successful Wheelchair Basketball career with Team Canada. As a member of the SWNT from 1992 to 2004, she won three straight gold medals at the Paralympic Games (1992, 1996, and 2000). Abbott also won three consecutive World Championships (1994, 1998, and 2002). She won a Paralympic bronze medal in 2004 and helped Canada win bronze at the 2010 World Championship.
Abbott was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2015, she was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Basketball BC Hall of Fame in 2017.
Interesting Facts
- Marni served as honorary co-mayor of the athlete’s village at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games and was part of the broadcast team, covering the opening and closing ceremonies live with Brian Williams
Awards / Highlights
- Received Rick Hansen Award from the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (2011)
- Named Coach of the Year by Wheelchair Basketball Canada (2009)
- Inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame (2008)
- Inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2007)
- Named Coach of the Year by the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society (2004, 2008)
- Received the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association’s Stan Stronge Memorial Award (2001)
- She was the flag-bearer for Team Canada at the opening ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games