A new talent is in the spotlight at the 2024 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships
How can you attract more athletes to wheelchair curling?
For Saskatchewan's No. 1 coach, Lauren Arguin, it's all about providing opportunities for people to experience the sport.
“Every September, in cooperation with CURLSASK, we organize experience camps,” Arguin said. “We did it in Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw to try to recruit more curlers who would come and stick with it.”
This year's camps were particularly successful, with four of the athletes who attended the camps in Moose Jaw now competing in the 2024 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships as part of the No. 2 Saskatchewan team.
Zahra Ehsani is one of those athletes. She came to Canada from Iran in December 2019 as an international student and participated in the Saskatoon event in October.
“Not only did I enjoy curling, I enjoyed the people. They were so nice and friendly. My boyfriend and his family curl as well, so that was a good boost to get into the sport.”
Ehsani stood out immediately, Arguin said.
“She has a lot of enthusiasm for the game. She played other sports in Iran and had a sports mentality.
At the age of nine, Ehsani was hit by a car. After two months in a cast, she was told she had bone cancer, and her leg was amputated. In Iran, she participated in many sports, including swimming, track and field, and sitting volleyball.
Since coming to Canada, she has learned about Terry Fox. They had the same cancer, and she considers him one of her role models. Ehsani herself is now in a position to be a role model and share her story Instagram account Hoping to inspire others.
“I hope I can do something for amputees and people with disabilities to enjoy their lives more. To have more hope. To join sports because it is important to us.
Her goals for the Canadian Championships are simple: do her best, make more friends, and learn from others.
Her advice to anyone thinking of taking up wheelchair curling?
“Try it! Do it! I promise you'll enjoy it. I'll do my best to help.”
In curling action Monday at the 2024 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships, athletes played in two ties and participated in the opening ceremony.
In the 1:30 p.m. draw, the matchup between Team Chris Reese of Ontario's No. 2 vs. Team Mike Fitzgerald of New Brunswick was a high-scoring match, with Team Reese opening with a score of 6 end, and Team Fitzgerald answering with a score of 7 end. Their own. Reese's team stole a total of four points during the game, leading to an 11-9 win.
In other matches, Denis Thiessen's Manitoba team defeated Alberta's No. 2 Donald Kuchelema 15-1. It took an extra end for Team Doug Dean of Newfoundland and Labrador to beat Team Alberta's No. 1 Martin Purvis by a score of 11-9. Quebec's Karl Marquez scored three goals en route to a 13-6 victory over No. 1 Ontario's Doug Morris. British Columbia's Jerry Ostgaarden won 10-4 over Rod Pederson's team from the host province.
After the 7 p.m. draw, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and No. 1 Saskatchewan remain undefeated. Ehsani and Saskatchewan's Ruud Pederson earned their first win of the tournament, with a solid 14-1 upset of Manitoba's Denis Thiessen. No. 1 Saskatchewan team Jill Dash defeated No. 2 Ontario team Chris Reese by a score of 12-3. British Columbia's Jerry Ostgaarden won 11-1 over New Brunswick's Mike Fitzgerald. Team Doug Dean of Newfoundland and Labrador won 8-6 over Team Alberta's No. 2 Donald Cochelema. Alberta's No. 1 Martin Purvis stole the sixth and seventh ends en route to a 9-6 victory over Quebec's Karl Marquez.
The tournament format includes 10 full matches, with two draws each day from Monday to Friday 29 March. Only the top three teams will qualify for the qualifiers, which will be held on Saturday, March 30.
Day and full event tickets for the 2024 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships are available and can be purchased at Click here.
Select games are available to watch on Curling Canada's live streaming platform Curling Canada+ (https://plus.curling.ca/).
For results, team lineups, schedule information and the latest tournament news, visit the event website, www.curling.ca/2024 Wheelchair.
