Wheelchair curling at Evergreen Curling Club Saturday, October 03, 2009

Cathy Cummins fires a rock down the ice at a wheelchair curling event hosted by Evergreen Curling Club Sept. 27 at the Lloyd Center in Portland. The club, with the help of the Disabled American Veterans, invited wheelchair athletes to learn the sport under the guidance of U.S. Paralympian Patrick McDonald and Canadian champion Vince Miele.

Last Sunday the Evergreen Curling Club hosted a learn-to-curl event for wheelchair athletes in Portland. With the help of the Disabled American Veterans, the club brought U.S. Paralympian Patrick McDonald up from San Francisco and Canadian champion Vince Miele down from Vancouver to teach the sport to first-time curlers in wheelchairs.

I recently updated my Sportsshooter page with some wheelchair curling photos, including the one above. Here are a couple of outtakes that didn't fit on that page.

[right] U.S. Paralympian Patrick McDonald communes with the ice before teaching the sport to first-time wheelchair curlers. [below] Canadian champion Vince Miele (left) shares a laugh with another curler.