Terina Sprague is always up for trying something new. She has been in a wheelchair for 25 years, but that hasn’t stopped her from participating in sports, horseback riding and on Saturday, she tried curling.
Sprague, along with about a dozen others in wheelchairs, gave curling a shot at Ice Station Valencia.
Hollywood Curling and the Triumph Foundation sponsored the lesson, allowing people with physical abilities to try a new sport.
“It’s harder than I expected,” Sprague said after attempting a few deliveries. “But you can tell that you get better the more you practice.”
The Triumph Foundation was started by Andrew Skinner after a snow boarding incident injured his spinal chord.
“I wanted to help others in a similar situation,” he said.
So for this event, Skinner’s organization teamed up with Hollywood Curling, a nonprofit organization that offers lessons and leagues to people of all skill sets.
“There’s a lot of ways to adapt curling for people with physical limitations,” said Matt Gamboa, the vice president of the non-profit.
“It’s amazing to see folks who don’t let their disability get in their way.”
According to Gamboa, people in wheelchairs are able to compete and be apart of leagues and teams with other athletes.
“They can play alongside other athletes without any issues,” Gamboa said.
For those interested in the sport of curling, Gamboa encourages them to attend an ice cream and introductory curling event at Ice Station Valencia next Saturday.
