Brian Dickinson MBE

The BPA is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Brian Dickinson MBE, British wheelchair fencer, swimmer and basketball player.

Brian was at the forefront of wheelchair fencing and competed in the first ever Paralympic Games, Tokyo 1964, where he won the first three of his Paralympic medals with bronze in the men’s team epee alongside James Shipman and Cyril Thomas and medals in the 50m breaststroke and freestyle swimming.

Interviewed about the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Brian commented: “It was only my second long-haul flight. My first was to Perth, Australia, in 1962 for the first Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. I remember receiving a certificate for flying over the North Pole. My memories of Japan are overwhelmingly positive. It really helped to bring the whole disabled community out into the open, having previously been behind closed doors.”

Initially Brian competed in wheelchair basketball as well as swimming and wheelchair fencing, but after the Tel Aviv Games in 1968 – where he reached the podium yet again - Brian chose to focus on wheelchair fencing. He went on to win further medals at the 1984 Paralympic Games in Stoke Mandeville, and rounded off his highly impressive competitive career at Barcelona 1992, where he won bronze in the Men’s Sabre Team event alongside teammates Jack Bradley, Kevin Davies and David Heaton.

Brian served as a member of the Executive Council of the British Paraplegic Sports Society (now WheelPower) for several years, and – among a number of significant roles in the sport - was general secretary of the International Wheelchair Fencing Committee from 1994-2005.

In recognition of more than 50 years’ service to wheelchair fencing, Brian - nicknamed ‘the grandfather of wheelchair fencing’ - was asked to be a torchbearer for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and carried the Paralympic Flame on the Torch Relay. He was awarded an MBE for services to his sport in the 2014 Queen’s New Year Honours.

Brian also coached and mentored many wheelchair fencers and was highly respected within the sport both nationally and internationally. All at the BPA send their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.