On the third day of the Paralympics I went to wheelchair curling. Korea played Japan, Germany played USA, Italy played Switzerland, and Canada played Norway. It was another great experience for me, as I haven't ever watched curling, let alone wheelchair curling! After my fellow reporters and some friendly spectators explained the gist of the game, I was excited and pumped, and enjoyed the intense game Canada and Norway played that much more. The game really did come down to the last (well, Canada's last) stone. They were the last teams still playing, every pair of eyes in the stadium were on them. Canada had a stone in the blue when their last stone joined it, winning them the 2 points required to beat Norway from the previous 5-4 score.
The curler that stood out to me was Darryl Neighbour of Team Canada. He suffered a workplace injury, putting him in a wheelchair in 2000. Not only was he a great curler, but when we talked to him after the game he was kind and funny, willing to take pictures, and just seemed like a good person. He is 61 years old, but he doesn't just curl. He plays wheelchair tennis, and he is an active speaker for the BC Paraplegic Association, an ambassador of the Rick Hansen Foundation, and is a spokesperson for BC Wheelchair Sports. Darryl Neighbour is an incredible athlete and a kind soul, a true Canadian.
Top Image: Darryl Neighbour and I after the game.
Middle Image: Not just the Olympic Norwegian curlers have cool pants!
Bottom Image: Neighbour steadies Gaudet as she releases the stone.
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