Canada is full of talented individuals and is home to many successful Olympians that dates back to the 1900s. Here are a few of those successful athletes that were not born in Canada:
Donovan Bailey – Born in Jamaica – Sprinter
“Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and above all don’t let anyone limit your dreams.”
Bailey’s gold medals in the 1996 Olympic Games raised the collective pride of Canadian athletics, as he took home the gold in the 100m and 4×100 relay events. He was also officially crowned the Fastest Man Alive when he beat Michael Johnson in a 150 m race at Toronto’s SkyDome.
Daniel Igali – Born in Nigeria – Wrestler
“When I initially came here in 1994, I wanted to stay here. It was because the Canadian wrestlers were my idols. I wanted to wrestle like them.”
Igali captures the gold medal for Canada in Men’s (69 kg) freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He came to Canada seeking refugee status due to political unrest in Nigeria. He acquired citizenship in 1998.
Daniel Neston – Born in Siberia – Tennis
“My parents are proud to be Canadian, as I am. They had a lot to do with my success and sacrificed a lot over the years.”
Nestor and partner Sebastien Lareau won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer olympics in Sydney, Australia. This was the first and only medal so in tennis for Canada. The duo also narrowly missed medaling at the Olympics this year, finishing 4th overall
Alex Baumann – Born in Czechoslovakia – Swimmer
“Take a look at all the top athletes that have come from Canada: they have tremendous confidence in their abilities. Not arrogance, but the confidence they can compete with the best in the world.”
Baumann captures gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley, setting a world record time of 4:17.41, and 200-meter race, setting another record at 2:01.42 at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was also names Canada’s flag bearer for the same games.
Lennox Lewis – Born in England – Boxer
“In boxing you create a strategy to beat each new opponent. It’s just like chess”
Lewis did not bring home any medals, but he represented Canada as a super heavyweight at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and lost to American Tyrell Biggs, the eventual gold medalist. He did, however, go on to become one of the most successful and dominant heavyweight fighters of all time.
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Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
