Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Victor Willoughby “Vic” Pickard was a Canadian track and field athlete who competed at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics. Pickard competed across multiple disciplines including Pole Vaulting and Javelin and saw immense success within the Pole Vaulting Discipline. Pickard finished 5th in the Pole vaulting competition in 1924 with a score of 3.8m and 4th in 1928 with a score of 3.95m. In 1930, Pickard earned the gold medal at the British Empire Games with his 3.73m performance in the Pole Vaulting event. Pickard holds Canadian Championship Titles in the years 1923, 1926, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Once known as the third-best pole vaulter in the world, Pickard was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1974.

Pickard held a number of both Canadian Records and British Empire Records. His height of 3.81m in 1924 held both records respectively. In 1928, he reached 4.11m which sat as the fifth best mark globally. Finally in 1929, his height of 4.15m was the second best in the world and a record that lasted until 1951.