Karen Magnussen

Class of 1996: Athlete

Vancouver’s Karen Magnussen was an inspiration to Canadian skating in the 1970s. Junior champion in 1965 and senior national champion five times between 1968 and 1973, Magnussen captured the hearts of the skating world with a brilliant performance at the 1972 Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan where she won a silver medal, Canada’s only medal of the ’72 Games. She achieved the championship crown for the last North American Championships in 1971. In 1973 she was the World Champion, achieving victory against great odds. She has been inducted into the BC and Canada Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the Order of Canada.