Kipling’s paralympic champion Gil Dash says winning gold an amazing experience
April 13, 2026, 1:25 pm
Ashley Bochek
Gil Dash of Kipling won gold in wheelchair curling at the Paralympics in Milano-Cortina this past March.
He says the experience was unlike anything he has experienced ever before. He says the gold medal game was overwhelming with cheers for Team Canada with 3,000 people watching.
“We got to the Olympic village on March 4 we went into town that evening and toured around. We didn’t have much time throughout the event. With wheelchair curling the days are long, exhausting, and it’s hard to get rest. We had games in the morning and evening and then late at night myself, my coach, and other staff would be matching rocks, so I’d get home an hour or so later than the rest of the team. The para-alpine and para-snowboard had fewer events and so they would come watch our games and do other activities in the village whereas we didn’t have a lot of down-time to go to other events, which was something I really wanted to do, but there just wasn’t enough time.
“We started practicing as soon as we got there, and the venue was amazing.
The nicest one I’ve seen. We were told there were close to 3,000 people there for the final game. The venue had a lot of people for all of the games. When we were playing in the final it was almost 99 per cent people cheering for Canada. The only ones cheering for China were the athletes from China. It was so loud. One of the biggest thrilling things for me was an hour before that game—I was in the hallway outside the locker room downstairs and the fans were starting to get let in and 15 minutes before gametime the amount of noise with ‘Go Canada Go’ chants gave me goosebumps and my hair stood up on my arms. That was such an awesome feeling.”
Dash played his first game with Team Canada in the middle of the week against Latvia.
“There were a lot of strong feelings,” said Dash. “Relief that we had made it to the final game. We had a chance. It’s so hard to win at that level when there are so many good teams. Little tiny things can make all the difference. We did so much mental training as well that I feel helped prepare us for that final game. Trusting the process and trusting your teammates and coaches was a huge thing for us. You can’t think about winning the gold medal it’s about how we are going to make the next shot, how can I help my teammate with the next shot, and strategy. I was listed as alternate. I had played two full games during the week and matched rocks at night for the team which is an important role. The first game I played was halfway through the week we were playing Latvia, and my spouse, Angela, wasn’t supposed to get there until supper time and she got there halfway through the game so that was such a nice surprise and moment, seeing her in the crowd.”
First Canadian Paralympic team to sweep competition
Dash explains his team was the first to ever be undefeated throughout the games.
“We had played China earlier in the week and won. We beat all of the teams during the week. We were the first team at the Paralympics to ever go undefeated so that was a big milestone for us. There are 10 teams there and you have to qualify for the Paralympics over the previous three years. You had to get enough points to go, other than the host team. We were there in the mixed fours discipline. There were mixed doubles at the Paralympics going on at the same time. It is so narrowed down so it is hard to make the Paralympics. I skipped the previous year at worlds in Scotland in 2025 where we won bronze, and the year before that in 2024 I played second and we got silver, and the year before in 2023 I played second as well and got silver. Then, we got gold at the Paralympics.”
He says the atmosphere was unbelievable with support for Team Canada all over the world.
“The volunteers at the Paralympics came from all over the world and paid their way to get there. It was extremely expensive to stay there, and they paid for their own meals and were just amazing. These volunteers worked all hours of the Paralympics and were great. The fans in the curling rink all week long were loud and lots of them and the venue was amazing, topnotch.
When we won, the number of fans we had cheering for us was unreal. The team leader of Scotland said to us ‘It is not only that you deserve to win because you have the best team but also you guys were the nicest people to play at the games’ and I thought that was really good to hear. The fans were just amazing as well as the para-alpine skiers, snowboarders, and Canadian Paralympic Committee staff that were in Cortina that came to watch and support us were so great and we were just so excited that game. It was posted on CBC there were 661,000 households that watched the final game in Canada.
The support from all of the people from Canada was crazy good and all of the support from Southeast Saskatchewan was amazing. I used to live in Wolseley and the community helped organize a send-off at the airport in Regina when I was leaving which was so cool and so many from Kipling helping me and supporting me it is just a great feeling.”
Grew up at the rink
Dash says his childhood was mostly spent at the rink in Kipling. “I am from Kipling, and I was at the rink all the time with curling and hockey. It was the same facility. I also figure skated for a little bit, but I was always on the ice. My parents curled, my brother curled and was very good and when my dad was curling there were huge bonspiels. Windthorst would have one and it would be a weeklong, Kennedy hosted one, all the towns around had one and sometimes longer than a week so you’d be at the curling rink all day. That was the hub. I curled in Kipling. One of the guys, Ken Burton, coached all of the school kids and people back home still follow me today which I think is really cool. I grew up at the rink and after high school I didn’t do a lot of curling then fast forward to 2006 I wanted to keep busy and found wheelchair curling after my accident when I was ski-jumping in Kimberley, BC and didn’t land proper and I broke my back. I remember being face down in the snow not able to move my legs. They put me on a sled and took me down the mountain to the ambulance, and I just remember it being quiet and seeing the blue sky. I was taken to Kimberley hospital then a plane came from Victoria and took me to the Calgary Airport and then off to the Foothills Hospital and was there for a month Then, back to the Regina Hospital for about six weeks and then off to Wascana Rehab.
“I had a lot of nerve pain and I still do. I wanted to try sit-skiing in the beginning, but I couldn’t because every little bump would radiate down my back and legs. I was looking for something to do to stay active. In 2006 was the first-time wheelchair curling was part of the Paralympics and that was the year I was hurt and about 2008 I started and eventually got to representing Saskatchewan at nationals and being invited to play with Team Canada. They watch you and ask you to a camp and then they pick the team. The team at the Paralympics there was a lady from BC, me from Saskatchewan, the Assistant Coach was Edmonton area, and then the rest from Ontario.”
Future goals
He plans to continue wheelchair curling in hopes of playing at the Paralympics again.
“In 2006 I got hurt and in 2008 I started wheelchair curling. Over the years it became a goal of mine to go to Nationals in Wheelchair Curling and then going to camps after being invited into the Canadian Wheelchair Curling program. From Saskatchewan, there is myself and one other player Marie, and her longtime coach who just retired. We have five national championships which is terrific. No one else has that many in one province so that is a proud thing too for Saskatchewan and we are proud to be from Saskatchewan and represent Canada. We had provincials here just about two weeks or so and we won so we are going to nationals again at the end of April this year.
“I plan to continue wheelchair curling. I am going to try to go back to the Paralympics. It is a good community, it is a lot of hard work and takes so much away from family time and you’re away a lot, but it keeps me busy.”
Moosomin Connection
Dash and his wife billet local hockey player Ella Newton of Moosomin who plays for the Women’s AAA Regina Rebels.
“We billet Ella Newton from Moosomin. She plays hockey for the AAA Regina Rebels the most competitive women’s hockey team in the area, and we were asked to billet and accepted. She showed up here as a 15-year-old and it has been amazing having her. She works so hard at hockey, school, ball, she is very busy. Hockey is my favourite sport. My brother-in-law played junior and is also a coach of the AAA Rebels team, my niece played with the Rebels for three years and then played university hockey with the Regina Cougars for five years and I enjoyed following her with that. I think I’ve seen more female hockey than male hockey because of her, and now watching Ella at her games and following her and meeting her family. Billeting Ella has been very good for Angela and myself. We really enjoy it.”
Dreams take hard work
Dash believes dreams can come true with hard work and dedication.
“You have to work hard. You have to keep going and work hard if you want to accomplish goals and dreams you have. You have to be at the top to get far in life and get opportunities, so you have to keep working hard to get somewhere in life. It took me a long time and you just have to keep going and do everything you possibly can. To win gold for Team Canada at the Paralympics was hard we had to be away from home lots, be at the gym by yourself, practice, do video, strategy, work with mental health consultants, and sacrifice to better our game and ourselves and to win.”
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