“Trailblazer in Sport Medicine: Father of Sport Medicine in Canada”
Dr. Peter John Fowler, 1938-2022
By Therese Quigley
“It is impossible to articulate the reach and impact of Dr. Fowler’s career…His impact is immeasurable. He was truly a giant and an icon within sport medicine.”
- Dr. Robert Litchfield – Medical Director Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Centre
Dr. Fowler was born in London, Ontario and grew up in Woodstock. He obtained his Honours BA in Physical and Health Education and Medical Degree from the University of Western Ontario. In 1964, on the Saturday following his graduation from medical school, he married his high school sweetheart Elizabeth (Libby) McAskile.
Dr. Fowler was a leader and outstanding student-athlete on the Mustangs swim team from 1956-1964. Regarded by many as the best swimmer in the history of Western, he was a silver medalist at the 1959 Pan American Games and named the Western Mustangs Athlete of the Year in 1963. Dr. Fowler was later inducted into the Western Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, and then the London Sport Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2019, he recieved the WMAA Lifetime Acheivement award for his contributions as an athlete, mentor, and physician.
He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2018 for “his pioneering contribution to the development of Sport Medicine in Canada.” and was the beloved physician for Mustangs athletic teams since 1982. He was appointed Medical Director of the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic in 1982 and professor in the Department of Surgery at Western University in 1986.
In 1965, while interning in General Surgery at the University of Michigan, Dr. Fowler decided to pursue orthopedic medicine. He was accepted into the Orthopedic Residency program at Michigan. However, Dr. J.C. Kennedy, who Dr. Fowler first met as a member of the Mustang Swim team while undergoing treatment of “swimmers’ shoulder,” established an orthopedic residency program at Western and convinced him to return to London to become its first resident.
Following his orthopedic residency, Dr. Fowler completed a fellowship at Duke University Medical Centre. He returned to London in 1970 and began his orthopedic practice. Along with Dr. J.C. Kennedy, he opened a small clinic in 1974 (J.C. Kennedy Athletic Injuries Clinic) and built one of the most comprehensive sports medicine centres in the world. In September of 1996, the expanded and newly named Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic was officially opened.
Dr. Fowler was named Orthopaedic Consultant to Team Canada for the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1980 Summer Olympics. He served as Chief Medical Officer for the 1984 Winter Olympics and both the 1990 and 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Dr. Fowler was elected to the President role of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine in 1980, the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) (which he was instrumental in the formation of and served as their first president) in 1995, and the American Orthopaedic Society of Sport Medicine (AOSSM) in 2002. He received the Canadian Orthopaedic Association Award of Excellence in 1998 and was named the “Godfather” for the AOSSM Travelling Fellowship in 2000. From 2007-2010, Dr. Fowler served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Qatar Orthopaedic and Sport Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar.
Dr. Fowler trained numerous generations of sport medicine leaders, many of whom are prominent leaders in their own countries around the world.
“He leaves an enduring legacy in sport medicine, the medical community in London, Ontario and Canada and across the campus of Western University,” said Dr. Robert Litchfield.
Dr. Fowler was a devoted husband to Libby; father to his children Tim, Megan, Cameron, and Peter Jr.; daughters-in-law Jacquie and Tori; and proud grandfather to Madeleine, Ryley, Grace, Henry, Max, and Poppy.
The Fowler Kennedy Clinic will be providing more information regarding the plans for the Celebration of Life for Dr. Peter Fowler in the Spring of 2023.
Dr. Peter John (Pete) Fowler: A Mustang Legend
