Hello, this is my story. Started curling when I was 13 years old with my father who was a member of the local railroad curling league, Basicly they were a bunch of fella’s out having a couple of drinks and having fun.
Fell in love with the game and realized early on that I was pretty good at it curled competitively and Junior curling, however never made itTo anything of significance.
Had an accident in 1987, which severed my spinal cord, and I was now bound to a wheelchair. I think I missed curling just as much as I did walking and for a long time couldn’t even watch the sport because it was too upsetting.
In 2006 the Torino Olympics were on and I was laying at home watching TV when Chris Daw and the rest of the Canadian Olympic team were demonstrating wheelchair curling for the first time. I knew immediately that I had to get back into curling and signed up the following season.
Since I started wheelchair curling, I went on to represent Northern Ontario at the Canadian national wheelchair. Curling championships five times with my best finish being a fourth in Halifax in 2008.
Wheelchair curling has made my life better and brought me back to a game I never thought I would be able to play again.
The invention of the stick has been an awesome tool to the Arsenal for a wheelchair curler.
I love watching and playing the game of curling and would love to attend this event. Thank you for hearing my story.
Respectfully submitted
Wayne Ficek
Kenora Ontario