Doug Peden was one of Canada's finest all-around athletes. He joined the professional ranks of basketball, baseball, and bicycle racing, while excelling in rugby, soccer, track and field, swimming, and tennis as an amateur. In his youth, Peden was a regular at the tracks, pools, courts, and fields of his native Victoria, British Columbia. While in high school, he was an all-around track performer as well as a provincial junior tennis champion. The younger brother of famous cycling champion Torchy Peden, Doug was also a menace on two wheels. He joined his brother on a world cycling tour in the late 1930s, pedaling the sport's top events in New York, Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, and San Francisco. Doug competed in 37 six-day races, finishing first or second in 16 and claiming the Canadian professional sprint title in 1939. Peden was also a star on Canadian basketball courts. He was twice a key member of a Canadian basketball championship team: in 1935 with the Victoria Blue Ribbons, and, in 1945, with the Victoria Dominos. Known throughout the league for his shooting prowess, Peden was asked to join the Windsor Fords, Canada's representative team at the 1936 Olympics. He was the top scorer on the team, leading it to a silver medal at the Games. Peden later played professionally with the Buffalo Bisons from 1940 to 1941 and the Vancouver Hornets from 1947 to 1948. In 1941, Peden was asked to fill in for an outfielder on the House of David touring baseball team. Though he didn't have much experience in the sport, Peden made such an impression that he was asked to stay on for the rest of the season. His impressive batting skills soon caught the attention of the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates, who signed him the following year. Peden spent most of the 1940s as a player and manager for Pirate farm teams across America, hitting over .300 all but one season in which he played. Peden's talent and versatility extended to the rugby field. An outstanding fullback, punter, and place-kicker, he was the first Canadian to score a tie against New Zealand's famous All-Blacks team when it toured North America in 1936. Peden proved his all-round sporting capabilities when he capped off his already diverse career as sports editor of the Victoria Times for 26 years. Many argue that Doug Peden was on par with the famed Lionel Conacher in terms of all-around athletic ability, but he did not receive the same recognition because of his western origins. It is widely agreed, however, that Peden was, at the very least, a rare, multi-talented athlete whose vast achievements may never be equalled.