TEAM USA MEMBERS FOR WORLD WHEELCHAIR CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS ANNOUNCED
25 January 2023
Medals will be awarded in two disciplines when the World Wheelchair Curling Championship and the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship are held at the Richmond Curling Club in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, from March 4-12, 2023.
The World Wheelchair Curling Championship field features twelve teams: one from the host nation, eight who earned berths by qualifying at the most recent World Wheelchair Curling Championship, and three who gained entry at the most recent World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship. The World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship is open to all the Member Associations of the World Curling Federation (WCF).
The two championships run concurrently, so Team USA will send seven athletes to Richmond for the event.
In the World Wheelchair Curling Championship, Team USA will include:
Steve Emt. A two-time Paralympian—2018 in Pyeongchang and 2022 in Beijing—Emt has also represented Team USA five times at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship, most recently in 2021 when the team placed fourth. He was a member of the team that earned a gold medal at the 2020 World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship, returning the United States to the World Championship. Emt is also the author of You D.E.C.I.D.E.: A Six-Step Action Plan to Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life, and speaks at events across the country.
Matt Thums. A 2022 Beijing Winter Games Paralympian, Thums is a two-time Team USA representative at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship, and was a member of the gold-medalist team at the 2020 World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship. He works as an accountant and estimator for a residential builder, and in his hobbies include handcycling, hunting, fishing, camping, and listening to audiobooks.
Shawn Sadowski. Sadowski participated in the 2021 U.S. Wheelchair Team Trials and has been a member of the USA Curling National Team ever since. He earned the silver medal at the last two Wheelchair Mixed Doubles National Championships (both held at the Kettle Moraine Curling Club in Wisconsin) with Mixed Doubles partner Laura Dwyer. Outside of curling, Sadowski is an ironworker in Portage, Wisconsin. He earned the nickname “Boomer” during his time spent playing Australian Rules Football, and is training hard to be a part of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan, Italy.
Laura Dwyer. Dwyer became a member of the USA Curling National Team after participating in the 2021 U.S. Wheelchair Team Trials. Playing with Sadowski in Mixed Doubles, she earned silver medals at the last two National Championships. Laura has had a passion for curling ever since trying the sport at an adaptive clinic in 2019, and is working hard to achieve her goal of being a part of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Oyuna Uranchimeg. A 2022 Beijing Winter Games Paralympian, Uranchimeg was part of Team USA at the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, and joined the USA Curling National Team following the 2021 U.S. Wheelchair Team Trials. She was visiting the United States from Mongolia in 2000 and ended up remaining in the country after a car accident paralyzed her from the waist down. Her love for the sport started after trying it six years ago. Outside of curling, Oyuna works as an administrative assistant in the Emerging Media department at the University of St. Thomas.
In the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, Team USA will include:
Pam Wilson. A 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympian, Wilson is also a two-time Team USA representative at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship and represented the United States at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship in Lohja, Finland, in 2022. She was also a part of the gold-medalist team at the 2020 World Wheelchair-B Championship. Before curling, Wilson competed in Track and Field at the Para Pan-American Games, and has been inducted into the USA Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame.
David Samsa. A 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympian, Samsa is a two-time Team USA representative at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship and competed with Wilson at the 2022 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship. He was also a member of the team that captured Gold at the 2020 World Wheelchair-B Championship.
The teams will be joined in Richmond by the USA Curling Wheelchair National Team Staff.
Pete Annis is the U.S. Wheelchair Curling National Director. He was the 2008 Men’s National Champion and has seven other Men’s National Championship appearances under his belt. He also participated in the 2005 and 2009 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling.
Jessica Schultz is a two-time Winter Olympian for curling (2006 and 2014), and represented the United States at four World Women’s Curling Championships (2005, 2010, 2011, and 2013). She made ten appearances at the USA Curling Women’s National Championship, and captured the USA Curling Mixed Doubles National Championship in 2016. Shultz was the Alternate for Team Sormunen at the 2004 World Junior Curling Championships, and she was a member of the USA Curling Team of the Year in 2005 and 2013.
Dr. Matthew Mikesell is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant who will be joining the World Wheelchair Team in Richmond, BC. He has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, an MA in Sport and Performance Psychology, and a BS in Psychology. He focuses on understanding each person’s unique qualities and how to channel them into performance.
“Our Wheelchair curlers have delivered consistent results in recent years, and I’m confident they will be great representatives at these world championships,” added USA Curling Interim CEO Dean Gemmell. “They are dedicated athletes, and our coaching staff is working hard to ensure they get the support and training that is necessary for continued success.”
More information on the athletes can be found on the USA Curling website. For more information on these Championship events, visit World Curling Federation or Richmond Curling Club.
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, IHG, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling, as the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States, is also supported by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
