WAUWATOSA — Curling often sees a spike in popularity around the Olympics. As the 2022 Winter Olympics approach, Wauwatosa Curling Club is making sure everyone can enjoy the winter sport.
"There are no limitations that we cannot accommodate,” Allen Miller, the adaptive curling coordinator at Wauwatosa Curling Club said.
The club is able to accommodate for many mobility differences including visual, physical, mental, and age disabilities.
"The wheel chair bound curlers curl using a stick to push the stone," he said.
It's a stick that is about 4 feet long that easily connects to the curling stone's handle so anyone can push it without needing to bend down on the ice. This is one of the more common tools used to combat any mobility difference someone may have.
In fact, Miller said that any wheel chair is good for curling. It doesn't need to be outfitted for the ice.
The curling club can also put rubber mats on the ice and move you closer to the target if balance is an issue.
"So all they’re doing is pushing the stone 10 feet and seeing how close they can get to the button or the bullseye.”
For Miller, Curling is something that should be accessible to everyone and not just during a spike in popularity during the winter games.
“It's amazing the joy you know that that brings to people who are basically in wheel chairs or mobility limited.”
The Wauwatosa Curling Club is located right near Hart Park. The U.S. Paralympic curling team will even be coming to give a free clinic. You can find more information about adaptive curling at their website.
