With less than two months remaining until the start of the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy, Canada’s wheelchair curling squad is diligently preparing for the competition.
This year, a groundbreaking virtual reality program, developed in Alberta, aims to enhance the team’s chances of winning gold.
According to Jennifer Dornstauder, the engineering technical lead on the project, the program is unique in its ability to provide seated users with a virtual simulation that includes their own body.
The initiative, created at Red Deer Polytechnic in late 2025, eliminates constraints associated with training environments, travel, and physical limitations, allowing athletes to focus solely on tactics and strategy.
Canada’s wheelchair curling team has consistently performed well at the Paralympics, standing out as the only nation to secure a podium finish in every edition of the Games, partially attributed to their openness to innovation.
Revolutionizing the Game
Wheelchair curling, often likened to “chess on ice,” requires a strong emphasis on strategy due to the absence of sweeping, making precise shot placement crucial.
Discussing the impact of technology on their game, Dana Ferguson, the mixed doubles coach, highlighted the VR program’s potential to elevate their performance by enabling remote training and enhancing teamwork among athletes spread across the country.
The virtual simulation, mirroring the competition venue with input from Curling Canada, helps athletes mentally prepare for the event and gain familiarity with the arena in advance.
Collinda Joseph, a member of Canada’s Paralympic team, emphasized the importance of quickly adapting to the competition environment, a challenge that the VR simulator addresses effectively.
A Culture of Innovation
Wheelchair curler Terry Fowler noted the sport’s continuous evolution, attributing their success to the community’s receptiveness to new ideas and technologies that can enhance their performance.
Joseph highlighted the unique commitment to embracing change and technological advancements within the wheelchair curling community, a trait she finds less prevalent in other sports she has participated in.
National team member Gil Dash emphasized the significance of leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, underscoring the potential impact even small improvements can have on achieving podium finishes.
Tech Development
Developing tech solutions for para athletes is not new to Dornstauder, who, following a chance discussion with Curling Canada officials, embarked on creating a tailored VR software solution named “Chess On Ice.”
The VR software, designed in just four months, presented unique challenges for the development team, including creating a realistic ice surface and modeling game physics accurately without prior experience in wheelchair curling.
Future enhancements to the software may include additional features like a heat map, multiplayer mode, and a live scoreboard, aiming to benefit both current athletes and introduce new participants to the sport.