Saint Mary’s has a history of excellence in athletics, and the accomplishments of our athletes extend far beyond Huskies stadium.
Along with winning championships and producing Academic All-Canadians in spades, SMU students—past and present—have contributed heavily to Team Canada’s Olympic effort in a wide range of sports.
As elite athletes gather for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, we compiled a list of our own impressive Huskies with Olympic ties. From athletes to coaches, broadcasters and more, we are proud to celebrate our alumni and students’ athletic achievements.
Photo: CBC
Steve Armitage BA’68 DCL’09
Armitage is a fundamental part of Canada’s sporting history. During his time at Saint Mary’s, he served as a quarterback for the Huskies Football team while commentating for the CBC Halifax late-night sports slot. His career included a 38-year stint with CBC Sports, where he covered 13 Olympic Games, and, among other accolades, was nominated for a Gemini Award in 1998 for his work covering speed skating at the Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Armitage's last Olympic appearance was at the 2022 Beijing Games.
He received an Honorary Doctorate from Saint Mary’s in 2009 to honour his longtime commitment to professional excellence.
Photo: CBC
Signa Butler BA’96
An athlete-turned-sports-broadcaster, Signa Butler knew from an early age that she’d pursue a career in sports. Growing up as a multi-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, gymnastics and field hockey, she ended up playing for the Huskies Women’s Soccer team during her incredible five years at SMU. Butler joined the CBC in 2000 and has covered 12 Olympic Games as a play-by-play commentator. She is one of the only women broadcasters to cover nearly every sport on the network. We’ll hear her again during the upcoming 2026 Winter Games in Milan, Italy.
Photo: Olympics.ca
Andrew Russell MBA’14
Now Chief Growth Officer (CGO) at Made with Local, the Dartmouth, NS-born Russell was a member of the Canadian Team at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, where he competed in Canoe/Kayak racing. He achieved Canada's best-ever combined results in the C-2 1000m and 500m events, placing fifth and sixth , respectively.
Dylan Di Perna BComm’20
After a stunning career with the SMU Men’s Hockey team, Ontario-born Di Perna is making his Olympic debut representing Team Italy in the upcoming 2026 Winter Games in Milan. This will be Italy's first return to Olympic hockey since 2006.
Photo: Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
Jamie Bone BComm’89
A legendary wheelchair sprinter and Paralympian, Bone dominated the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, where he was the only Nova Scotian on the Canadian team. Winning three gold medals (100m, 200m, and 400m) and setting multiple world and Paralympic records, Bone’s Olympic record eventually led him to being inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1997.
Photo: Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
Jackie Barrett BComm’98
A prolific powerlifter known as the "Mississippi Moose," Barrett finished his career with 20 gold medals and 13 first-place finishes at the World Special Olympics. In his last year of competition, he set three Special Olympics records, lifting a combined 1,272.5 kg across the squat, deadlift, and triple combination events. He made history in 2021 as the first Special Olympics athlete inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Photo: Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Kori Cheverie BA’12
An alumna of the SMU Huskies Women’s Hockey team, Kori Cheverie served as an assistant coach for Team Canada during its gold-medal run at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She returns with fellow alum Troy Ryan to coach Team Canada again in 2026, an achievement highlighted by SMU’s Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health, which aims to support women in high-level coaching positions.
Photo: CBC
Katie Pegg (Current student)
Current biology major and Paralympian Katie Pegg stunned in her first Paralympic games, bringing home Bronze in shotput for Team Canada in Paris in 2024. Finishing seventh in the world, Pegg—who was born with a missing radial bone in her right arm—had an eight-year football career as a defensive lineman before getting back into shotput here at Saint Mary’s.