In honour of his time at SFU (BSc 1969, MSc 1971), his immeasurable hours mentoring students, and his significant contributions to the field of sports medicine, SFU’s Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology has created the Jack Taunton Memorial Fund to support students whose education focuses on sports injury prevention and treatment.

Jack was born in Vancouver and spent his childhood in Burnaby and Victoria, graduating from Burnaby South High School. He studied science and kinesiology at Simon Fraser University, where he was a charter student and graduated among a class of six (!) students in Kinesiology. Along with his studies, he was a varsity athlete on the SFU football and track teams. This was the beginning of his long-running career, completing 63 marathons and running over 200,000 miles.

Jack's passion for competitive sports, unmatched work ethic, and never-say "can't" attitude drove him in all aspects of his life. He attended medical school at UBC and joined a Richmond-based medical practice run by his coach and mentor, Dr. Doug Clement, which allowed him to specialize as a sport and exercise medicine physician; they later co-founded the UBC Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic. He was a professor in Medicine and Kinesiology at UBC and a dedicated educator who taught and inspired countless undergraduate and graduate students, medical residents, and sports medicine fellows.

Alongside his medical practice and academic work, Jack was a tireless and generous sports medicine leader for elite athletes and members of the local community alike - he saw how sport could positively impact overall health and well-being. A few of the many hats he wore included: team physician for Canadian field hockey teams, Chief Medical Officer for the 2010 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games, President of the Sport Medicine Council of Canada, founder of Sportmed BC and co-founder of both the Vancouver Marathon and Vancouver Sun Run. In addition to receiving the Order of Canada in June 2024, Jack is enshrined in the SFU and BC Sports Halls of Fame, among others, for his visionary leadership and valuable contributions to sports medicine.

On behalf of the Taunton Family, SFU’s biomedical physiology and kinesiology department, and the greater SFU community, we sincerely appreciate your consideration of a gift to the Jack Taunton Memorial Fund.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Bergeron in the SFU Faculty of Science at jennifer_bergeron@sfu.ca.