Taekwondo Canada Names Allan Wrigley New High Performance Director

Taekwondo Canada, the governing body for the sport of taekwondo in Canada, is pleased to announce that Dr. Allan Wrigley (HBK'00/MSc.'02) has been named as the organization’s new High Performance Director.

Wrigley, a resident of Sooke, British Columbia, brings an extensive background in amateur sport to the position, with experience as a sport science and medicine leader in Canadian Olympic and Paralympic programming. Wrigley’s experience as the Integrated Support Team Director for Swimming Canada, as well as his work as the Senior Sport Biomechanist at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, saw him hold the responsibility for the oversight of applied strategy for sport science, sport medicine and innovation programs in collaboration with Canadian high performance sport partners.

Wrigley’s experience has also allowed him to participate in the development of high performance plans, team selection, carding criteria, Gold Medal Profiles, and athlete and program gap analyses to support an evidence-based approach to athlete development. Wrigley has worked closely with clubs, provincial sport organizations, and national performance partners to both define and reinforce the critical nature of performance pathways. A proponent of athlete and staff mental wellness, Wrigley was also the primary author and developer of Swimming Canada’s Mental Health Strategy that has seen the direct contracting of clinical support for the organization’s high performance programs.

Wrigley said of the announcement today:

“I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to lead Taekwondo Canada’s high performance programs. My overall vision is to support both current and future high performance athletes and coaches in a systematic and sustainable way that values the technical expertise that already exists within the Canadian taekwondo community. We will focus on continuous improvement across the athlete development pathway and provide the necessary support to help our top performers convert to Olympic medalists. On a personal level, over the past 10 years I have experienced the value of taekwondo in helping to shape both the physical and social development of my children, and I want to ensure that Canada’s high performance taekwondo athletes are well positioned to continue to inspire the next generation.”

Taekwondo Canada Executive Director Dave Harris said of the appointment:

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Allan as the new High Performance Director for Taekwondo Canada. His experience in amateur sport as well as his skill set in high performance will allow him to work well with our athletes and coaches, ensuring that they are being developed to reach the next level.”