Own the Podium was established to help fund and boost Canada's chances of medal success at their home Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, with the programme having since been expanded to summer sports.

Nicholson has been involved with the organisation since 2015, when he became a director.

He will take up the role as chair fresh from having served as Canada’s Chef de Mission at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Canada achieved a record 28-medals at the Games, while the five-time Paralympian previously captained their national Para ice hockey team for 15 years.

He helped lead them to gold at the Turin 2006 Paralympic Games, as well as silver at Nagano 1998 and bronze at Lillehammer 1994.

His success as an athlete and administrator shows Nicholson understands leadership both on and off the field of play, Own the Podium claim.

"Todd is a very well-respected leader with the major players in the Canadian sport community, and understands what it takes to achieve excellence," said Anne Merklinger, chief executive of Own the Podium.

"He is a proven performer in sport and in the boardroom, is generous with his time volunteering to countless initiatives, and he is driven to succeed.

"We are privileged to have Todd leading our mission of helping Canadian athletes reach and remain atop the podium in Olympic and Paralympic competition."

Nicholson has competed in numerous sports in addition to ice hockey, including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, triathlon, duathlon and marathons.

He has also been a Para ice hockey coach at both local and national levels of competition, as well as serving as a chair for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council, a governing board member for the IPC and as the IPC athlete representative to the International Olympic Committee.

"I'm extremely proud and honoured to carry the torch for OTP while working with our partners at the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee in an effort to lead Canada to more Olympic and Paralympic podium performances," said Nicholson.

"Canadian athletes are coming off record-setting performances at the last two Games, but we cannot stop here.

"We must continue to challenge ourselves, embrace change, take risks and seek opportunities to be even better on the global stage leading towards Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022."

Nicholson takes over from John Furlong, who was the first ever chair of the organisation.

He will be joined by a new-look board of directors, which includes Araba Chintoh, Rob Hatch, John Mills, Sue Paish, and Tara Whitten.

They will be joined by returning board members Therese Brisson, Chris Clark and Duncan Fulton.