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Simon Whitfield receives honorary doctorate from University of Guelph

February 18, 2016
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Simon Whitfield earned an honorary doctorate from the University of Guelph yesterday. The Olympic gold medalist has been pursuing philanthropic work since his retirement from elite triathlon. He continues support young athletes in the sport, notably acting as a mentor to Paula Findlay at her first Olympic appearance in 2012.

Whitfield was one of three honorary degree recipients yesterday. He spoke at the winter convocation ceremony for more than 700 graduates of the College of Business and Economics. The University of Guelph chooses a notable community leader to address the graduates at their convocation ceremonies, three time per year. They award the leader with an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of all they have achieved for the community.

Whitfield is one of the most prominent figures in the Canadian Olympic scene and one of the greatest Canadian triathletes in history. He is best known for his victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, after he overcame a cycling crash to take the first win in triathlon’s Olympic history. He is one of five men to have competed in all four Games since triathlon was added as an Olympic sport. Recently, he was inducted into the ITU Hall of Fame.