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There’s no sweeping - Wheelchair curling |
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Wheelchair curling is a world recognized sport, and Lennoxville’s Alfred Whittier, who has years of experience instructing handicapped athletes, has begun a local team with aspirations of forming a league.
“When you get involved, and begin working with individuals with handicaps, they teach you so much,” said the curler, who is not in a wheelchair himself. “This something relatively new to our area. Wheelchair curling is like regular curling, but you take out the sweeping. The curlers strictly deliver the stones. The curlers have to make up for the loss of sweeping, which means that they have to make it up with accuracy and skill. Essentially their skill is more enhanced than ours.”
Whittier, who has been instructing handicapped skiers at Owl’s Head for 14 years, says the idea came to him a few years back after witnessing a league in Maine.
“They had a program going,” he says. “I thought about it, and thought about it for years. I had it on the top of my head to get going, so I took the bull by the horns and decided to do something.”
Whittier was acquainted with a local curler and begun discussing the possibility. At which point the curler invited two other players and from there, the new team — which consists of a Canadian Olympic representative, a water skier, and a track and field competitor — took shape.
Whittier says that the first priority was running it by the Speid Street Curling Club’s executive.
“We have our foot in the door,” he says. “We have a temporary ramp to get on and off the ice, but we need to begin fundraising to make the club wheelchair accessible. This will also help the club’s senior members.”
Whittier is a seasoned curler. In fact, he’s been throwing rocks for decades.
“When I was a kid in high school our Grade 8 class was too big so they stuck us in the Magog Curling Club. We used to throw rocks during break times.”
Since the curling season is coming to a close, the newly formed team will spend the summer months recruiting new members.
“If we can’t form a league then the wheelchair curlers will have to play with club members.”
Ideally, Whittier hopes to put the team on the map. He believes there are no other Quebec clubs at this stage, and the only real competition lies in Ontario and the Maritimes.
To sign up, or for more information, visit www.lennoxvillecurling.ca or call Whittier at 819-566-7315, or Benoit Lessard at 819-837-2269.
By Jen Young
April 15, 2008 |
Montreal Canadiens
