HARTLAND, Wis. — Thirteen years after a life-altering accident left her paralyzed from the waist down, Laura Dwyer is competing in the Paralympic wheelchair mixed doubles curling trials this week, hoping to represent Team USA at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy.
READ ALSO | Wisconsin's Team USA curler seeks support for Paralympic dreams
TMJ4'S Charles Benson first met Dwyer weeks after a large tree branch fell on her during a windy day of landscaping. She suffered multiple broken bones and damage to her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.
"Do you remember that person?" Benson asked Dwyer as they watched her original story together, a rush of emotion still raw 13 years later.
Watch: TMJ4'S Charles Benson first met Dwyer weeks after a large tree branch fell on her during a windy day of landscaping
"Same person with a lot of belief, a lot of heart, trusting, trusting that things are happening for a reason," Dwyer said.
Curling wasn't always the dream for Dwyer, but it has become a part of her destination in life. The former softball pitcher is now sliding curling stones across a frozen surface at the Kettle Moraine Curling Club with grit and determination to be the best.
"Curling is a very social event. I love the team coming together. I love the unity," Dwyer said.
Watch: From tragedy to triumph: Paralympic hopeful Laura Dwyer eyes Winter Olympics glory
The mother of two teenagers, now 19 and 18 years old, has a chance to represent Team USA at the Paralympics - not just for her country, but for her family and everyone facing challenges.
"I can almost wrap my head around it. I've been training now for 5 years. I put a lot of hard work in with my teammates and on my own, and traveling to competitions," Dwyer said.
In that short time, Dwyer and her mixed wheelchair doubles partner Steve Emt became national champions this year.
"I think the fact that we're all in wheelchairs, coming together, stepping up, not letting whatever our story was that put us in the chair own us, and we're saying like, hey, I can make something out of my life," Dwyer said.
Life and the push for success continue practice after practice, hoping that this 'house'— known in curling as the circular target area at each end of the ice — will bring Olympic glory.
"Do you pinch yourself about this potential to represent the USA - Laura Dwyer, the American flag potentially at the Paralympics?" Benson asked.
"I can feel that I'm close. I can feel that I've been working hard, that I've been traveling down a path and putting in effort. Making those connections, taking those late nights, traveling to those other cities that have ice and putting in the effort, I can feel that the time is coming," Dwyer said.
Good luck, Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt!
You can watch them compete at the Paralympic trials streaming at 8 a.m. Friday on Peacock.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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