For Joey Johnson, wheelchair basketball has been the source of some of his best memories.
Diagnosed with a degenerative hip condition at just eight years old, Johnson faced an uncertain future in sport—until he discovered the world of adaptive sport.
A friend introduced him to wheelchair basketball, and by 1995, Johnson had earned a spot on the Senior Men’s National Team.
“I have had a long career. I’ve been involved with wheelchair basketball for 42 years – it has been a long journey and a long time,” Johnson said. “Some of the best memories of my life are associated with this game.”
Johnson will be inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame this month alongside Paul Bowes and Anne Lachance.
“It’s always humbling. I don’t think anyone starts their career and has goals set for stuff such as being inducted into the Hall of Fames,” said Johnson. “To be recognized by the peer group that you’ve grown up with and played alongside and for future generations to get a chance to remember your name is pretty cool.”
A native of Lorette, Man., Johnson spent nearly two decades as a staple on Team Canada. Over the course of his career, he competed in five Paralympic Games, capturing gold medals in 2000, 2004, and 2012, along with a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Johnson also struck gold at the 2006 World Championships and the 1997 Junior World Championship.
“All of the Paralympic Games were fantastic in their own way, from 1996 being my first Games – you only get one first time,” said Johnson. “In 2000, winning my first gold medal, repeating in 2004, then 2008 coming up a little short – but that journey and experience was a very exciting and unique experience.
“To end it with 2012 and finishing my career with another gold medal – one experience or one highlight would be very difficult for me to pick. It’s the journey, the experiences – the people that I got to experience that journey with were probably the biggest highlights.”
Johnson’s on-court success earned him a historic honour in 2023 when he became the first wheelchair basketball athlete ever inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.
His excellence has been recognized by the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame, where he was the first wheelchair basketball player inducted in 2013, followed by inductions into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019.
Throughout his tenure with the SMNT, Johnson saw the growth of the Paralympic movement and the evolution of wheelchair basketball.
“The progression through it all – from the team to the Paralympic Games. In 1996, I thought it was a fantastic Games when I was there, and then looking back at all the other Games, I think, ‘Wow ’96 really fell short of the mark’ in so many ways,” Johnson explained.
“The skill changed a lot, and a lot of that had to do with the equipment and technology we were able to use. When I was first playing, we didn’t have fifth or sixth wheels on the back of the chairs. Then, with the tilting and the evolution of the game. Now, it’s a fast and amazing game. I watch some of the athletes that are playing today and it’s truly amazing to see how good and how fast they are.”
Today, the 49-year-old is focused on giving back to the sport that shaped his life, helping to develop and inspire the next generation of wheelchair basketball athletes.
He serves as the Executive Director of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association and coaches the provincial junior wheelchair basketball team.
Internationally, he is a coach with Great Britain’s Men’s National Team.
“Coaching is something I’ve always done; even as a player, I was always willing to help out with the younger generation,” Johnson said. “I enjoy it.
“I feel I have a lot of grey hair and wisdom with the sport, so it’s my chance to give back, and if I can help a kid find his passion through our sport, it’s a huge victory.”