Roger Jackson

Biography

Roger Jackson is a three-time Olympic rower who won gold in the coxless pairs at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo with George Hungerford. Both were headed to Tokyo as alternates, but began training together just weeks before the start of the Games.  They surprised everyone by winning their opening heat and advancing to the final.  No one gave them much of a chance of winning and many Canadian officials and journalists skipped the event.  After winning by three-quarters of a boat length, they were dubbed the “Golden Rejects”.

Four years later Jackson was given the honour of being the Canadian flag bearer at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Jackson was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983 and was inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1964 as well as the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971.

From 1976 to 1978 he was the director of Sport Canada, before serving as president of the Canadian Olympic Association from 1982 to 1990. Jackson is a recipient of the Olympic Order, the highest honour bestowed by the International Olympic Committee.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Own the Podium, Jackson helped carry out a vision that saw Canada win a world record number of gold medals in 2010 (14).