Dave Durepos
Biography
Dave Durepos is a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and a World Champion in wheelchair basketball. Since joining the national team in 1994, he has earned numerous medals and individual accolades while developing a reputation as one of the best outside shooters in the world.
A former standup basketball player, Durepos discovered wheelchair sports after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 1988. He began playing wheelchair basketball in 1990 following an introduction to the sport at a rehabilitation centre in his hometown of Fredericton, NB. He became hooked on the sport after one practice and believes the wheelchair adds an entirely new dimension to the game of basketball.
Domestically, Durepos has competed at several national and league championships. In 2002, he led his American-based Milwaukee Bucks team to a Final Four Championship title and became the first Canadian to be named MVP in Division I of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. He also captured back-to-back MVP honours at the Canadian National Championships in 2006 and 2007.
Durepos’ greatest accomplishment in sport was captaining Team Canada to its first Paralympic gold medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney. With the victory Durepos became the first-ever athlete to bring home an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal for the province of New Brunswick.
Off the court, Durepos devotes time to speak at schools and rehab centres to inspire others to achieve their goals and raise awareness about disability sport opportunities.
Interesting Facts
- He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys camping, snowmobiling and driving ATVs and motorcycles
- Lives by the motto “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”
- He used to play competitive tennis
- Basketball runs in the family: Durepos is married to Sabrina Pettinicchi, a former member of the Canadian Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team
Awards / Highlights
- Received Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
- City of Fredericton proclaims September 25, 2012 as Dave Durepos Day
- Team Canada’s flag bearer at the 2011 Parapan American Games
- Back-to-back MVP awards at Canadian National Championships (2006-2007)
- Sport New Brunswick Male Athlete of the Year in 2001 & 2004
- Won Final Four National Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks in 2002 and first Canadian to be named MVP in Division I of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA)
- Named to the All-Star Team at the 1998 World Championship
Major International Competition
| Tournament | [medal, rank=1 size=’small’] | [medal, rank=2 size=’small’] | [medal, rank=3 size=’small’] | Other |
| Paralympic Games: 5 | 3 (’12,’04,’00) | 1 (’08) | 5th (’96) | |
| World Championships: 5 | 1 (’06) | 0 | 3 (’02, ’98, ’94) | 7th (’10) |
Statistics
Paralympic Games
*As of 2000
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2012 | 6 | 47 | 7:49 | 6/14 | 43 | 6/9 | 67 | 5/6 | 83 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 5.8 |
| 2008 | 8 | 114 | 14:15 | 19/44 | 43 | 6/20 | 30 | 5/5 | 100 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 24 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 61 | 7.6 |
| 2004 | 8 | 141 | 17:40 | 18/44 | 40 | 10/25 | 40 | 6/6 | 100 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 72 | 9.0 |
| 2000 | 8 | 96 | 11:57 | 13/34 | 38 | 1/9 | 11 | 16/30 | 53 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 5.6 |
| TOTAL | 30 | 398 | 13:16 | 56/136 | 41 | 23/63 | 37 | 32/47 | 68 | 13 | 44 | 57 | 48 | 33 | 14 | 4 | 36 | 18 | 213 | 7.1 |
World Championships
*As of 2000
| 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 | ||||||||||||
| 2010 | 8 | 124 | 15:36 | 16/38 | 42 | 12/34 | 35 | 8/15 | 53 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 76 | 9.5 |
| 2006 | 8 | 89 | 11:08 | 14/39 | 36 | 4/7 | 57 | 6/9 | 66 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 46 | 5.8 |
| 2002 | 8 | 148 | 18:34 | 30/61 | 49 | 4/17 | 23 | 9/13 | 69 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 26 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 81 | 10.1 |
| TOTAL | 24 | 362 | 15:06 | 60/138 | 44 | 20/58 | 35 | 23/37 | 62 | 13 | 51 | 64 | 52 | 23 | 15 | 1 | 39 | 10 | 203 | 8.5 |
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 | Canada (SMNT) | Canada | 1994-2013 |
| Club (domestic) | Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks | Wisconsin (U.S.) | 2002-2007 |
| Club (domestic) | Nashville Music City Lightning | Tennessee (U.S.) | 2010-2011 |
| Club (domestic) | Ottawa Royals | Ontario | 2008-2010 |
| Club (domestic) | Elm City Lighting / Fredericton All Courts | New Brunswick | 2007-2008 |
Career Notes
2013: 6th place at Americas Cup in Bogota, Colombia (Team Canada)…
2012: 1st place at Paralympic Games in London, England (Team Canada)… 1st place at Continental Clash tournament in Worcester, England (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Papendal Tournament in Arnhem, Netherlands (Team Canada)…
2011: 3rd place at Parapan American Games and Team Canada’s flag bearer in Guadalajara, Mexico (Team Canada)… 3rd place at International Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, USA (Team Canada)… 1st place at BT Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 5th place at National Championships with Team Nova Scotia in Longueuil, QC (domestic)…
2010: 7th place at World Championships in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 2nd place at BT Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 3rd place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (Team Canada)…
2009: 2nd place at Americas Cup Qualifier in Richmond, BC (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Rollers World Challenge in Australia (Team Canada)… 2nd place at CWBL Open Finals with Fredericton All Courts & named MVP in Halifax, NS (domestic)…
2008: 2nd place at Paralympic Games in Beijing, China (Team Canada)… 2nd place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (Team Canada)… 1st place at Pre-Paralympic Test Series in Osnabrück, Germany (Team Canada)… 1st place at Good Luck Beijing Invitational Tournament in Beijing, China (Team Canada)…
2007: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Team Canada)… 1st place at VISA Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (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 (Team Canada)… 3rd place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks & named All-Star in Lexington, USA (domestic)… 2nd place at National Championships with Team Manitoba & named MVP in Winnipeg, MB (domestic)…
2006: 1st place at World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Team Canada)… 1st place at Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK (Team Canada)… 1st place at Osaka Cup in Osaka, Japan (Team Canada)… 2nd place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks in Lexington, USA (domestic)… 3rd place at National Championships with Team Manitoba & named MVP in Kitchener, ON (domestic)… 4th place at the CWBL Open Finals with Fredericton All Courts & named MVP in Fredericton, NB (domestic)…
2005: 1st place at Americas Qualification Tournament in Colorado, USA (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 (Team Canada)… 2nd place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks in Phoenix, USA (domestic)… 2nd place at CWBL Open Finals with Fredericton All Courts & named All-Star in Winnipeg, MB (domestic)…
2004: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece (Team Canada)… 1st place at North American Cup in Birmingham, USA (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (Team Canada)… Won Canadian Sport Award for Male Team of the Year as a member of the Canadian Men’s National Team for their efforts at the 2004 Paralympic Games… (Team Canada)… 3rd place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks in Phoenix, USA (domestic)… 2nd place at National Championships with Team Manitoba in Vancouver, BC (domestic)… 2nd place at CWBL Open Finals with Fredericton All Courts & named MVP in Fredericton, NB (domestic)… Named Sport New Brunswick Male Athlete of the Year…
2003: 1st place at Parapan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina (Team Canada)… 1st place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (Team Canada)… competed at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks & named All-Star in Phoenix, USA (domestic)… competed at National Championships with Team Manitoba & named All-Star in Toronto, ON (domestic)…
2002: 3rd place at World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan (Team Canada)… 1st place at Americas Qualification Tournament in Vitória, Brazil (Team Canada)… 1st place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (Team Canada)… 1st place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Milwaukee Wheelchair Bucks & first-ever Canadian named MVP in Division I of the NWBA & named All-Star in Champaign, USA (domestic)…
2001: 3rd place at CWBL Open Finals with New Brunswick Mavericks & named All-Star in Saint John, NB (domestic)… Named Sport New Brunswick Male Athlete of the Year…
2000: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia (Team Canada)… 1st place at Pre-Paralympic Test Series in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Team Canada)… 1st place at Roosevelt World Basketball Challenge in Warm Springs, USA (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Défi Sportif with Team New Brunswick & named MVP in Montreal, QC (domestic)…
1999: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico (Team Canada)… 3rd place at CWBL Open Finals with New Brunswick & named All-Star in St-Hyacinthe, QC (domestic)…
1998: 3rd place at World Championships & named All-Star in Sydney, Australia (Team Canada)… 2nd place at Americas Qualification Tournament in Winnipeg, MB (Team Canada)… 2nd place at National Championships with Team Alberta in Winnipeg, MB (domestic)…
1996: 5th place at Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA (Team Canada)…
1995: 1st place at Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Team Canada)… 4th place at NWBA Final Four Championship with the Ottawa Royals in Philadelphia, USA (domestic)…
1994: 3rd place at World Championships in Edmonton, AB (Team Canada)… competed at National Championships with Team Manitoba & named All-Star in Saint John, NB (domestic)…