(The Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair Curling team proudly celebrate their bronze medal win at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, China. Photos: Collinda Joseph)
Congratulations to Stittsville resident Collinda Joseph who won the Bronze Medal in Wheelchair Curling at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games! Collinda and the rest of her team are proud of their performance and the Bronze Medal victory. “We are so happy with how we played. It’s an honour to attend the Paralympics, but to show up and do as well as we did is an incredible reward for all the work the team has put into preparing for these games over the past 4 years.”
Collinda and the rest of Team Canada are proud to represent the sport of Wheelchair Curling on the world stage, and highlight the importance of accessibility in sports. “I am so grateful for the support from my co-workers, friends, family, and the whole community,” Collinda said. “Reading the messages from friends and family certainly gave us the boost we needed at important times during the event. It’s hard attending the Paralympics without friends and family and to know they were getting up in the middle of the night to watch our games was inspiring!
Team Canada went into the semi-finals still buoyed by their early victories, especially their win against the top-rated Chinese team. “We knew that we could beat some of the best in the world. It was just a matter of lining up the right shots!” The shots lined up well, and Team Canada fought through some close games and tough losses to reach the Semi-Finals and win the Bronze for Canada.
As a Manager at Accessibility Standards Canada, Collinda knows as well as anyone the benefits of inclusivity in sport. “This medal is an extraordinary achievement for our team, and I know that the more we remove barriers from our society, the more people will have opportunities for wonderful and fulfilling experiences like this.”
To see more about Collinda Joseph’s performance in the World Wheelchair Championships here. For more information on Accessibility Standards Canada, visit https://accessible.canada.ca/.
Amazing people, well done!