Paul Rosen, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient – Guest Speaker at April 2025 Gala

2006 Paralympic Gold Medalist and 2008 World Champion, Men’s Sledge Hockey 2007 Bronze Medalist, Parapan American Games, Sitting Volleyball 2013 Recipient, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal

Paul Rosen’s childhood dream mirrored the fantasy of many young children growing up in Canada: to play in the National Hockey League. He was working toward fulfilling that dream until, as 15-year-old in 1975, Paul broke his leg in 14 places during a hockey tournament. Paul’s leg was shattered, as were his hopes of playing professional hockey. For the next two decades, Paul endured 28 surgeries to his leg; then, in 1997, his leg gave out while travelling in Germany. Paul’s leg was in such poor condition that he would need another 14 procedures in the 18 months that followed. To recap, that was 38 surgeries from 1975 through 1999.

In June 1999, faced with a life-defining decision, Paul opted without hesitation to have his leg amputated above the knee. From that point forward, his perspective, mindset, and purpose would change forever.

After his leg was amputated, Paul learned how to play sledge hockey, and he became one of the greatest goalies in Paralympics history. Starting at age 40, Paul played in three Paralympic Games, with his shining moment being a shutout of the number one ranked team, Norway, in the gold medal game of the 2006 Torino Paralympic Games. In all, Paul represented Canada at five sledge hockey world championships. With his bronze medal won representing Canada in sitting volleyball at the 2007 Summer Parapan American Games, Paul became one of a very few athletes to ever win a medal in both winter and summer international games.

Since choosing to have his leg amputated, Paul has delivered ~1200 motivational talks and he regularly visits schools and hospitals to mentor children, and their parents, on how to deal with adversity as well as advocating an attitude to “never give up.”

Never Give Up is the title of Paul’s book (published in 2021) which presents a candid biography of the adversities he has faced in life – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and the various steps he taken to address and overcome these challenges.