Chris Daw

Daw delivering a stone

He entered curling in 2000. He was the skip of the Canadian team at the 2002 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Sursee, Switzerland, where the team won silver.[2] Two years later, he would again be the skip of the Canadian team and the Wheelchair Curling championship, again in Sursee, where the team won bronze.[2] He would be the skip of the Canadian team, which won Gold in Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics. In 2007 he withdrew his name from the Team Canada selection process that could have led to a spot on the 2010 Winter Paralympics. He resurfaced as part of the Wheelchair Curling Team for Newfoundland as Skip in 2008, only to relocate to British Columbia in 2009. He was the General manager of the Vancouver Curling Club when it took over the Olympic Curling center (now Hillcrest Center) in 2011.

In 2010, it was announced that Daw was returning to competitive curling by joining Jim Armstrong (curler). As Jim's second on a local BC team in provincial play-downs; with hopes of representing Team BC. Team Armstrong was unsuccessful in capturing the 2011 BC Championship title. Armstrong would later move to Ontario. Daw would announce his retirement in December 2010.[3][4]

In 2010, Daw formally announced his retirement from competitive sports to focus on his family and career.[5] In January 2012 after Eric Eales of wheelchaircurling.com stopped publishing his blog posting[6] on wheelchair curling; it was announced Daw was taking over with a new blog spot called Wheelchair Curling Blog 2.[7] Daw received over 5000 readers in the first month on the new blog which changed formats allowing for publishing of stories on wheelchair curling from around the world though direct input by the players, coaches or interested parties. The blog after 2015 National championships in Quebec experienced over 5.5 million+ viewers[6]

Post retirement Daw has also been very active as a motivational speaker; as a speaker for the Rick Hansen foundation.

2010 for the Vancouver games as the lead curling commentator for CBC curling.

After leaving Vancouver in 2011, in 2012, Daw signed on with Ken Strong to support a sports venue, Ice Twice Rinks Inc.[8] in Oakville, Ontario. He became the Executive Director of the business. In eight months, Daw was able to fully recover the facility from financial hardship. With dimensions over 70,000 square feet, the facility was home to two rinks, a goalie pad, a shooting pad, a board room, a multi-purpose room, and space for dry land training. Programs at the rink were run by experienced coaches such as Al Iafrate, Eddi Choi, Christina Kessler, Ryan Munce, and Bill Hoover. Daw left Ice Twice Rinks in 2015, which was sold in for profit to Jamie Allison; a former NHL player with the Chicago Blackhawks.[9]

Since 2000 Daw has been a leading reporter on the sport of wheelchair curling including the creation of the Wcblog2.com. [10] In 2018 Daw decided to close down the Wcblog2.com due to lack of information sharing and time commitment restrictions. Daw has also done extensive work with CBC television during the Paralympic games as a commentator in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Along with his Paralympic work, Daw began working with CBC on other ventures, including 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships.

Daw has had numerous career changes throughout his life working as an athlete, instructor, general manager, executive director and much more. He has worked with or for; top corporate companies, police forces, military, schools and most recently took a position with the BC government.

Daw's official disability has never been known. He has compounded his disability through numerous injuries over his athletic career and professional endeavors. He has suffered a stroke, heart attack and a multitude of other conditions which has contributed to his overall disability. With this, he is the only known person to be classifiable at the Paralympics as both a paraplegic and quadriplegic competitor.

Chris Daw - Rick Hanson Engagment

In 2006 it was reported that Daw had one child a son; Kyle, with his first wife Mari Brown.[11] In March, 2009 Daw married Morgan Perry, a former member of Canada's junior women's softball team. On February 23, 2010, Daw and Perry gave birth to a daughter Arowyn Emma Ellie. Daw and Perry separated in 2015.

In April 2010, Daw lost his mother Eleanor Daw at 63 years from a heart attack. According to Daw, her loss has had a profound change in him which he often referred to the reason behind his retirement from international sport.[12]

In October 2014 after going to the doctor for what Daw thought was Kidney stones it was discovered he had renal cell carcinoma. The aggressive cancer caused Daw to undergo surgery on December 29, 2014 having a Partial nephrectomy. Daw quickly recovered from the surgery healing in less than 4 weeks time. In 2015; Daw had relocated to Victoria, British Columbia making his return to BC as an assistant manager at Uptown Walmart. His recent adventures include a day trip to Vancouver, in which Daw was changed TAXI fare for loading his wheelchair into the taxi. This created an out cry by many disabled taxi users and an investigation followed. The story was covered by Chek News, Victoria [13]

In 2010, Daw was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame on September 23, 2010 at a ceremony including Christine Nesbitt and Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir.[14]

Daw's accomplishments included the following; one of the longest active Paralympic careers in history. During his athletic career he has attended over 125 National Championships, 64 World Championships, 4 Paralympics and 1 Olympics. For an estimated medal total over 1000+ for Canada including a dozen World Championships, 19 World records and Paralympic Gold medal performances. His sports include Canadian representation for Track, Basketball, Rugby, Volleyball, and Curling. He has also participated as an elite athlete in hockey, field, parachuting; rock climbing, badminton and holds high level black belts in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu.[15]

This list is not nearly a complete list of Daw's medal count over the years. Daw participated in countless different sport spanning a 37-year career and a full understanding of his accomplishments is not fully understood.

Olympic Games
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Alternate	Wheelchair Adaptive Track	1984	United States Los Angeles	Alternate	Canada
Paralympic Games
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Gold	Wheelchair Curling[16]	2006	Italy Torino	Skip	Canada
4th	Wheelchair Rugby[16]	2000	Australia Sydney	Player #10	Canada
	Wheelchair Adaptive Track[16]	1988	South Korea Seoul	Participant	Canada
	Wheelchair Adaptive Track[16]	1984	United Kingdom Stoke Mandeville	Participant	Canada
Para PanAM Games
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Bronze	Sit-Volleyball	2007	Brazil Rio	Player	Canada
World Wheelchair Curling Championship
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Silver	Wheelchair curling[17]	2002	Switzerland Sursee	Skip	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair curling[17]	2003	Scotland Scotland	Skip	Canada
Bronze	Wheelchair curling[17]	2004	Switzerland Sursee	Skip	Canada
6.	Wheelchair curling[17]	2005	Scotland Glasgow	Skip	Canada
4.	Wheelchair curling	2007	Sweden Sollefteå	Skip	Canada
Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Gold	Wheelchair curling[18]	2003	Ontario Toronto	Skip	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair curling[18]	2005	British Columbia Richmond	Skip	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair curling[18]	2006	British Columbia Richmond	Skip	Canada
6th[19]	Wheelchair curling	2009	Nova Scotia Halifax	Skip	Newfoundland and Labrador
Provincial Wheelchair Curling Championship
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Position	Team
Bronze	Wheelchair curling[18]	2011	British Columbia Kimberley	2nd	Armstrong
First World Games for Disabled Youth (Nottingham, England)
Finish	Event	Year	Place	Result	Team
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Gold	Wheelchair Adaptive Track [16]	1986	United Kingdom Nottingham	World Record	Canada
Awards and Recognition
Award	Awarded by;	Description	Place	Year	Country
Rick Hansan Relay[20]	Town of Strathroy	Medal Bearer	Ontario Strathroy, Ontario	2011	Canada
Hall of Fame[21]	City of London	London Sports Hall of Fame	Ontario London, Ontario	2010	Canada
King Clancy Award[22]	King Clancy Foundation	Outstanding Performance	Ontario	2007	Canada
High Performance Coach of the Year	Province of Ontario	Coach of the Year, Wheelchair Athletics	Ontario	2007	Canada
International Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	2006	Canada
World Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	2006	Canada
National Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	2006	Canada
Provincial Achievement Award	Province of Ontario	Achievement Award	Ontario	2006	Canada
International Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	2000	Canada
World Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	2000	Canada
Celebration 88 Medal	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	1988	Canada
International Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	1988	Canada
JAFO Recognition	Multi Governments	Awards	United Kingdom United States	1991	United Kingdom United States
World Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	1988	Canada
National Achievement Award	Government of Canada	Achievement Award	Canada	1988	Canada
Provincial Achievement Award	Province of Ontario	Achievement Award	Ontario	1988	Canada

• Personal Website
• London Sports Hall of Fame Tribute Video