Richard "Bear" Peter is a three-time Paralympic champion in wheelchair basketball from Duncan, British Columbia. Known as an Indigenous warrior on wheels, Bear had a stellar 18-year professional career, excelling at both provincial and national levels, even playing professionally in Germany with RSV Lahn-Dill. Representing Canada at five Paralympic Games, he helped secured three gold medals (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and London 2012) and a silver medal at Beijing 2008. His achievements include the Tom Longboat National Award, Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year, and induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Beyond sports, Bear is an ambassador for BC Wheelchair Sports Association’s Indigenous Bridging the Gap program and works as the Indigenous People's Liaison for Praxis Spinal Cord Institute. Proudly opening doors for upcoming athletes, Bear describes the legacy of Indigenous athletes as resilient, strong, enduring, and focused. Sport, to him, means a lifelong commitment, and he actively shapes the next generation by introducing wheelchair sports and promoting enjoyment at all levels. In his words he aims:
