Resilience, Depth and Eyes in the Sky - Canada's Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team Rocks On

Canada's Paralympic wheelchair curling team is a force to be reckoned with.

 

Slovakia’s quartet, Adrian Durcek, Radoslav Duris, Karol Sandl and Monika Kunkelova fought valiantly, recovering from a significant early deficit, to take the lead, but the Canadians clawed their way back into the lead.

 

Whatever it takes – Wheelchair Curling brakeman

Left to right: Canada’s Gil Dash and Jon Thurston

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team's Gilbert Dash, left, and Jon Thurston compete against Slovakia at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger

Gil Dash, summarized the keys to the Canadian team’s success today: communication, self-confidence, persistence and hard work, as a team.

 

“Things are going good and then Slovakia started to claw back. We just talked to each other between ends and between shots, shared Dash.”

 

Dash revealed what they said to encourage each other, as they battled back, with their unbeaten streak, during the Paralympics mixed team curling round robin phase of the tournament on the line.

 

“Just keep trusting the process. Just keep going. Be resilient and work hard at it, and things will come our way,” said Dash.

 

Left to right: Gil Dash and Jon Thurston celebrate

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team's Gilbert Dash, left, and Jon Thurston compete against Slovakia at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger 

Canada surged to an early lead, scoring two points, in the first end, then adding an additional four points, during the second one.

 

An equally tough and resilient Slovakian team fought back. They scored in the next four ends (2, 1, 1, 2), with no answer from the Canadians, tying the score at six, in the sixth end.

Monika Kunkelova (Slovakia) and Mark Ideson (Canada) give each other props

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team competes against Slovakia at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy on March 11, 2026 // L'équipe canadienne de curling en fauteuil roulant paralympique affronte la Slovaquie aux Jeux paralympiques de 2026 à Cortina, en Italie, le 11 mars 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger

“Well, we’re definitely a resilient team,” said Canada’s skip, Mark Ideson.

 

He continued, “It can be challenging when you have a big lead early and let a team back in, but Slovakia earned all those points that they got, and put the pressure on us throughout.”

 

The Canadian wheelchair coaching duo, Mick Lizmore and Dana Ferguson, their players’ eyes in the sky, were instrumental, in helping the athletes, with their strategy.

 

Throughout the game, Ferguson and Lizmore also described ice conditions and gave them the specific location of rocks, which they could see, in the overhead view, on their monitors.

 

“They have a lot better viewpoint of what the ice and the end of the sheet looks like with their monitors,” stated Ina Forrest.

 

Forrest further related, “It really helps us out to let us know who’s shot.” “It helps you figure out the weight that you need to throw, knowing exactly where a rock has ended up, on whatever your last throw was.”

 

In the seventh end, Canada scored one point, retaking the lead, 7-6.

 

During the final end, the skilled and tenacious Canadian athletes scored two more points, to seal the victory.

Canada scored two (yellow), in the final end.
Apple iPad CBC Gem app screen snapshot

“Luckily, we continued to go to school throughout the game and were able to make the shots when we needed to in the eighth,” reported Ideson.

 

The mindset of all five Canadian players, including alternate, Gil Dash, who competed like a regular starter, enabled them to eventually achieve their goal.

Canadian Wheelchair Curling Team Celebrates Victory

Left to right: Gil Dash, Ina Forrest, Jon Thurston, Mark Ideson

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team competes against Slovakia at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy on March 11, 2026 // L'équipe canadienne de curling en fauteuil roulant paralympique affronte la Slovaquie aux Jeux paralympiques de 2026 à Cortina, en Italie, le 11 mars 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger

Even though they had already qualified for the semi-finals, before Wednesday’s game began, they stayed hungry, and did their best to win every time, they wheeled onto the ice.

 

“It didn’t change anything [already qualifying for the playoffs] because you still have to figure out how to win in every game you’re playing,” asserted Ina Forrest.

 

“We don’t want to have a loss at any point, so we’re still playing to win,” she summed up.

  

Canada’s Paralympic Mixed Wheelchair Curling Team Slides Toward a Golden Future

PARALYMPICS – MARCH 10, 2026 – This morning’s Paralympic showdown between China and Canada’s mixed wheelchair curling teams, was likely a preview of this coming Saturday’s gold medal match.

Left to right: Jianxin Chen (China), Ina Forrest, Collinda Joseph, Jon Thurston

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team competes against China at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy on March 10, 2026 // L'équipe canadienne de curling en fauteuil roulant paralympique affronte la Chine aux Jeux paralympiques de 2026 à Cortina, en Italie, le 10 mars 2026.

 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger

The strategic battle between world-ranked No. 1, China and No. 2- ranked, Canada lived up to everyone’s expectations; including the athletes.

 

An exuberant Collinda Joseph, a member of Canada’s team, exclaimed, “It felt like a gold medal game, really. It was incredible. I was telling someone else that it’s the first time I've ever been part of a win against that team in international play, and to have it happen today was just incredible.”

 

The Canadian team has been getting stronger, throwing their stones with greater confidence and accuracy, and winning by greater margins, as the round robin portion of the tournament progresses.

 

 

Game I: 9:8 versus Italy

 

The game came down to Italy’s final stone and a couple millimetres. Italy placed one stone in scoring position. Canada’s rock, also in the house (target), barely edged out Italy’s second stone, narrowly averting a tie-breaker.

 

 

Game II: 5:4 versus Great Britain

 

This match was an epic struggle between chess masters, with the Canadian team prevailing.

 

 

Game III: 9:2 versus Norway 

 

Norway and Canada were equally matched, with both teams in contention, until the sixth end, when Jon Thurston threaded the needle, passing through a gauntlet of rocks, bumping Norway’s two rocks from the house, and leaving a fifth Canadian stone in scoring position.

Before Jon Thurston's throw

at a critical point in the game

What the house looked like before Jon Thurston's throw  Apple iPhone YouTube app screen snapshot

What the house looked like before

Jon Thurston's throw

 Apple iPhone YouTube app screen snapshot

After Jon Thurston's game-changing throw

What the house looked like after Jon Thurston's throw
Apple iPad CBC Gem app screen snapshot

Watch a YouTube Short of Jon Thurston threading the needle

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MIKlERQtHUA

 

Canada’s skip, Mark Ideson, pushed one more stone into the house, giving their team a six-point end.

 

With a seven-point deficit, the Norwegian team conceded defeat. The final two ends were not played.

 

 

Game IV: 11:1 versus Latvia

 

The Canadian team dominated Latvia, right out of the gate, scoring three points, in the first end. Canada continued racking up points, in the second, third, fourth and fifth ends, including four in the fourth, before the Latvian team finally got on the scoreboard, with a single point, in the sixth.

 

Down by 10 points, Latvia threw in the towel, at the end of the sixth. For the second consecutive match, the final two ends were not played.

 

 

Game V: 9:4 versus China

 

This morning, Canada jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against the team from the Republic of China, in the first end.

 

After adding a second point, during the third end, China scored three, in the fourth end, to tie the match.

 

Canada answered with two points, in the fifth end, to retake the lead 5-3.

 

“We scored two in the first end right away, which is a great start. Stole one. They scored three back. And for us to score that two right back, that was a good response from us,” explained Jon Thurston.

 

Left to right: Canada’s Collinda Joseph, Jon Thurston, Ina Forrest

 

Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team competes against China at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Italy on March 10, 2026 // L'équipe canadienne de curling en fauteuil roulant paralympique affronte la Chine aux Jeux paralympiques de 2026 à Cortina, en Italie, le 10 mars 2026.

 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Angela Burger 

China responded with one point, in the sixth end.

 

Canada stormed back, capitalizing on two errors by China, to score a quartet of points, in the seventh end.

 

“I think just bring our A game. I think capitalize on opportunities as soon as we get them. And I think we did that,” Thurston stated.

 

He continued, “And then a good force and then score four.” “We love that scoreboard. Just great effort by the whole team.”

 

Behind by five points, with one end remaining, China conceded defeat.

 

 

Don’t you dare count China out! In their second match of the day, they spanked Latvia 8-3.

 

Expect to see both of these teams again, in Friday’s semi-final matches and playing for the gold medal on Saturday.

 

“You know, China’s the reigning Paralympic champion, reigning world champion for a good reason. They’re a great team,” according to Jon Thurston.