Adam van Koeverden, 2022
A Milton politician is being recognized for his many Olympic achievements.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Milton Adam van Koeverden is a four-time Olympic medalist, including a gold medal in the K1 500m kayak event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also Canada’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He was recently inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
The Liberal MP was inducted with a stacked 2022 class, including who many considered the ‘greatest of all time’ in their fields in ice hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and lacrosse player John Tavares. Tavares being the uncle of former Milton Icehawk and Toronto Maple Leaf John Tavares. van Koeverden is blown away by his induction class.
The 2022 class also includes:
- Four-time Major League Soccer champion Dwayne De Rosario;
- rower Tricia Smith;
- Paralympic swimmer Tim McIsaac;
- sports broadcaster Brian Williams; and,
- “Father of the Northern Games” Edward Lennie.
All inductees received the Order of Sport from Canada, the country’s highest sporting honour.
MP van Koeverden adds that he’s become a little shy talking about himself over the years. With his current job, he’s always talking about Milton. He now needs to discuss himself and it’s a strange temporary adjustment for him. He says this was never expected.
Coming from a low income household in the always-expensive Oakville, he touts the kayak as being something that has given him everything. He was first introduced to the Indigenous creation as a kid who needed something inexpensive to do after school. The hobby led him to his first career, which took him around the world.
van Koeverden is now a two-term MP, winning the seat from then-incumbent Conservative MP Lisa Raitt in 2019. He then retained the seat in the 2021 federal election.
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