London Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Five different sports are represented in the London Sports Hall of Fame class of 2024.

The Hall of Fame, now in its 23rd year, was started by the late sportswriter Bruce Huff.

Meet the Inductees:

Helen Smith

Helen Smith (Legend) is a former gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games. In 1994, she won the individual women’s air pistol category in Victoria B.C.

That win came three years after taking silver at the Pan Am Games in Havana.

Smith entered the world of sport shooting in 1984 after taking a firearms safety course at Fanshawe College. It led to a 10-year stint on the Canadian National Shooting team until 1997. During those 10 years, she was a provincial or national champion seven times in either women’s sport pistol or women’s air pistol.

Rob Atchison

Rob Atchison (Athlete Modern Category) is one of the best drag racers ever to come out of Canada.

He began drag racing with his father Bob (a competitive drag racer) at the age of 19.

Over 25 years, he became the winningest Canadian driver in International Hot Rod (IHRA) history, winning 21 national events across North America and three IHRA Alcohol Funny Car championships. He was the first IHRA Alcohol Funny Car driver to run a 5.685 second elapsed time at the last event of 2005 IHRA season in San Antonio. With 36 final round appearances, Rob is second in career victories in IHRA Alcohol Funny Class category.

Rob and his dad became the first father-son duo to be elected to the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jim Martin

Jim Martin (Builder/Modern) is responsible for the thriving state of girls hockey in London.

In 1986, a few years after looking for ice time for his daughter to play, he, along with others, laid the groundwork for the London Devilettes Girl’s Hockey Association.

Jim and his wife Charlaine wanted a unique look for the group, so they adopted the colour scheme of the New Jersey Devils of the NHL – red/green/white and named the organization the Devilettes.

Since then, over 100 former Devilettes have gone on to play university hockey in Canada and the United States. Some have played for Team Canada, while other alumni are now in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Peter Inch

Peter Inch (Builder/Modern) is Mr. Curling in the Forest City. Known as the man instrumental in bringing the major curling events to London, Inch can be found working behind the scenes at the Brier, Continental Cup, Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and Skins Games in the region.

In 2018, he was the chair of the organizing committee of the Continental Cup at the Western Fair Sports Centre, which saw the world’s top men’s and women’s curlers compete in a Ryder Cup format. He was also the vice chair of the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier in London in 2023.

An undated image of Peter Inch. (File)

Bill Boland

Bill Boland (Builder/Legend) was a figure skating official who passed away in 2020. Inducted posthumously, Boland had the support of prominent members of the skating community to earn his place on the wall at Budweiser Gardens.

Boland was named London’s Sports Person of the Year after chairing the World Figure Skating Championships 2013 in London.

He was once named London Skating Club volunteer of the year and served as the board director of Skate Canada.

An undated image of Bill Boland. (Source: Submitted)

Gerald Wilcox

Gerald Wilcox (Athlete/Legend) is the definition of an all-around athlete. He had a great CFL career, including winning the Most Outstanding Canadian award in 1994.

Prior to that, Wilcox was drafted by the London Knights, won 10 WOSSA gold medals in long jump and triple jump, and was a London high school football champion at London South Collegiate Institute.

He was a finalist for Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year in 1994 while playing for the Blue Bombers, and was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 2001.