Hall of Fame
We are often inspired by the seemingly impossible deeds of athletes – the grace, speed and strength that they bring to their sport. But what inspires us even more is seeing what’s behind the physical ability – determination, sportsmanship and leadership. Taimo Pallandi is an individual who combines all of these.
Taimo, who graduated with a BPHE in 1953 before going on to a BA from Sir George Williams University and MS from University of Illinois, was a U of T athlete, coach, professor and administrator. A member of the Varsity wrestling, boxing, football and track and field teams in the early 1950s, Taimo also played intramural volleyball and later coached the men’s Varsity volleyball team.
A professor in the School of Physical Health and Education through the 1980s, Taimo was also the director of Physical Education for Scarborough College from 1965 to1991. In this role, he developed the total athletics and physical education program at Scarborough College and was instrumental in the planning and development of all the athletic facilities at the college. During his tenure, Scarborough teams were winners of the Interfaculty Points Standing for a number of years.
His contributions to U of T athletics have been recognized many times over, with the Thomas R. Loudon Award (1991), the A.F.W. Plumptre Award (1990) and the D.R. Campbell Merit Award (1991). We are now pleased to add the U of T Sports Hall of Fame to this list!
