Manitoba native Nelson Kuhn moved to Vernon, British Columbia as a youth and eventually entered the University of British Columbia, where he joined the school’s rowing team. His only major international appearance came at the 1960 Summer Olympics, where he won silver in the coxed eights alongside David Anderson, Donald Arnold, Sohen Biln, Walter D’Hondt, John Lecky, Archie MacKinnon, Bill McKerlich, and Glen Mervyn. He has been inducted into the British Columbia (1977) and University of British Columbia (2012) Sports Halls of Fame with his silver medal-winning crew.