Walter LePage was born in Charlottetown in 1926.
He was a bespectacled, skinny kid who first found his love of competitive running at Sunday School picnics. Shooting baskets at the old YMCA, bowling, playing table tennis, snooker and pool were activities he also pursued and enjoyed.

In grades nine and ten, at the hefty weight of 99 pounds, LePage played rugby for West Kent in Victoria Park against Queen Square School. In 1941 as a student at Prince of Wales College, he played both basketball and rugby. That was the same year that Dr Steel opened the Auditorium for Sports.

In 1942/43, he was given his nickname, Windy. Although he was fast as the wind, the nickname came from his trumpet playing while at Mt. A Academy, and it was here that he was introduced to track and field. In his first track meet, he won the 220 yard dash.

In 1943 Windy moved on to Mt. A University, and before his 17th birthday, he won the individual aggregate cup. By this time, he had bulked up to 126 pounds, and made varsity basketball, rugby and track in both his freshman and sophomore years, garnering an incredible six athletic A’s in the process.

He also won a silver A for sports writing in the weekly Argosy and the yearbook.

At Mt.A Windy not only sprinted in track and field, but competed as well in the long jump, the triple jump, the relays, and he also threw the javelin. Following his return from Mt A and a brief stint in the RCAF, he competed for the Abegweit Athletic Association in three sports. He played for various basketball teams in both the City League (where he won high scorer and averaged 14 points per game), and the PEI League.

He was playing coach of teams that won two Maritime Championships in basketball. In rugby he was noted for scoring many tries with his speed and broken field runs.

He was also a member of the Abbies team that won the Maritime track and field championship. In 1947, on the Halifax Wanderers field, he ran the 100 yard dash in 10 seconds flat, without benefit of starting blocks, or a live track.

A memorable event was when he played on an Abbies basketball team that played an exhibition game against the Goose Tatum led Harlem Globetrotters.

His swansong in rugby was when he came off the bench and scored the only try in beating the Saint John Mariners 3-0.

As a coach, he took the Prince Street School Grade 10s to the Island Championships over the Summerside Grade 12s. He also coached the Abbies Junior Track and Field team and took them to the Acadia relays.

LePage’s personal bests are impressive in any era – a 10 second 100 yard dash, a 22.3 second 220 yard dash, 18.2 foot long jump, 38 feet triple jump, 110 feet javelin throw. In 1948 he was invited to the Olympic trials in Hamilton, Ontario, but due to previous committments, he was unable to attend.

In 1955 he suffered a serious head injury that ended his participation in both rugby and track and field, but he was able to return to the basketball court.

An outstanding corporate citizen who believed in the value of volunteering, Windy LePage has enjoyed an active and productive life.

He was a willing, able, and very good athlete, well regarded by his peers, and an outstanding member of the PEI Sports Hall of Fame.

Windy passed away on January 18 2018 at the age of 91. He was a proud Hall of Famer until the end, coming every year to the induction dinner. He will be missed.

Updated: February 2018

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