Key Takeaways:
- Canada’s wheelchair curling team is utilizing a virtual reality program to prepare for the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy.
- The program, developed in Alberta, allows athletes to practice and train in a simulated environment, reducing physical constraints and travel requirements.
- The technology is designed to help the team improve their strategy and tactics, and to familiarize themselves with the competition arena.
- The use of virtual reality is part of a larger trend in wheelchair curling, which has a strong culture of embracing innovation and technology.
- The program has the potential to help develop newer athletes and introduce the sport to others, increasing accessibility and participation.
Introduction to Virtual Reality in Wheelchair Curling
With less than nine weeks to go until the 2026 Paralympic Games kick off in Italy, Canada’s wheelchair curling team is hard at work getting ready to compete. But this year, a virtual reality program — developed in Alberta — is aiming to help the athletes bring home gold. The program, which was developed at Red Deer Polytechnic, is designed to simulate the experience of competing in a real curling arena, allowing athletes to practice and train in a virtual environment. According to Jennifer Dornstauder, the engineering technical lead behind the project, "To our knowledge, we don’t know of any other programs that are developed for seated users in the sense that they actually can see their body in the virtual simulation."
The Benefits of Virtual Reality Training
The virtual reality program is designed to help the team improve their strategy and tactics, and to familiarize themselves with the competition arena. The program takes away training environment constraints, training travel constraints, and physical constraints, allowing athletes to focus on tactics and strategy training. As Dana Ferguson, the mixed doubles coach for the national program, explained, "We have to use technology to be able to make the shots that we want. And that’s the really cool part about the VR, it’s gonna be able to take our game to the next level." The program also allows athletes to train together remotely, which is particularly useful for a team that is spread out across the country.
The Technology Behind the Program
The virtual reality program was created using photos from Curling Canada, and is designed to simulate the experience of competing in a real curling arena. The program includes a simulated ice surface, complete with reflectivity and detail, as well as a simulated wheelchair and equipment. The development team, which included animators, programmers, and kinesiologists, worked closely with Curling Canada to ensure that the program was accurate and effective. As Kenzie Wylie, the lead animator, explained, "Normally, in a lot of VR games, you’ll find [the ice doesn’t] really have a lot of reflectivity… [and] there isn’t a lot of detail. It’s an important part of immersion."
The Culture of Innovation in Wheelchair Curling
The use of virtual reality in wheelchair curling is part of a larger trend in the sport, which has a strong culture of embracing innovation and technology. As Collinda Joseph, a member of Canada’s Paralympic team, explained, "I didn’t feel the same sort of commitment to supporting change and supporting technology… that can have a significant impact, as much as I experience in wheelchair curling." This culture of innovation is driven in part by the fact that many parasport athletes are always looking for ways to improve their performance and gain a competitive edge. As Terry Fowler, a wheelchair curler, explained, "People in wheelchairs are always looking for something to improve upon… anything that can help us out, like, even a little bit, we’re more than welcome to bring that in, try it out."
The Future of Virtual Reality in Wheelchair Curling
The virtual reality program has the potential to help develop newer athletes and introduce the sport to others, increasing accessibility and participation. As Gil Dash, a member of the national team, explained, "It’s gonna give people more opportunities. It’ll bring more people the experience on what we deal with through curling." The development team is also hoping to add new features to the program, including a heat map, a multiplayer mode, and a working scoreboard. As Jennifer Dornstauder explained, "It’s absolutely a challenge for the animators and the programmers, but it’s also a great opportunity to develop something that can really make a difference in the sport."