Chris Daw

Christopher Daw
Personal information
Born February 1, 1970
North York, Ontario
Education Strathroy District Collegiate Institute
Alma mater University of Tennessee
Occupation Athlete, Executive Director/General Manager, Motivational Speaker, Business Consultant
Height 5’ 9”
Weight 275 lb (19 st 9 lb; 125 kg)
Spouse(s) Morgan Perry (m. 2009)
Website http://www.chrisdaw.ca http://wheelchaircurler.blogspot.com/
Sport
Country  Canada

Christopher (Chris) Daw (born February 1, 1970 in North York, Ontario) is a Paralympian who competed in adaptive track, marathons, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, wheelchair rugby, and curling for Canada.[1] Once considered the fastest wheelchair athlete in 1995 though 1997. He is the only Canadian athlete to represent Canada at multiple Paralympic Games for 4 different sports. Also one of the few athletes to represent Canada at both Summer & Winter Paralympic Games. In 1986, he won 6 Gold medals and set 6 world records at the first World Games for disabled youth in Nottingham, England. Member of the 1984 & 1988 Canadian Paralympic adaptive track teams; member of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team, and member of the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team at the 2000 Summer Paralympics before taking up wheelchair curling in 2000.

During Daw's athletic career he has attended over 125 National Championships, 64 World Championships, 4 Paralympics and 1 Olympics. For a medal total over 600+ for Canada including a dozen World Championships, 19 World records and Paralympic Gold medal performances. Although his sports include Canadian representation for Track, Basketball, Rugby, Volleyball, and Curling. He has also participated as an elite athlete in Field, Badminton and holds high level black belts in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu.

Curling

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. Daw returned to Ontario in 2011 for undisclosed reasons.[3]

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 2011.[4][5]

Retirement

In 2011, Daw formally announced his retirement from competitive sports to focus on his family and career.[6] In January 2012 after Eric Eales of wheelchaircurling.com stopped publishing his blog posting[7] on wheelchair curling; it was announced Daw was taking over with a new blog spot called Wheelchair Curling Blog 2.[8] 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 last National championships in Quebec experienced over 200,000+ viewers[7]

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 a the lead curling commentator for Paralympic Sport Tv and in 2014 appears as CBC curling analyst for the Sochi Paralympic Games doing on air taped and LIVE coverage for the company

Business Venues

After leaving Vancouver in 2011; in 2012 Daw along with Ken Strong in a business venue; Ice Twice Rinks Inc.[9] He came on as General Manager the business. In just 8 short months Daw was able to fully recovery the facility from business hardship into what is now the largest independent Hockey Development centre in Southwestern Ontario. Ice2Ice Hockey Development Centre offers hockey development to players of all ages and ability. The facility was designed with one goal in mind, to develop the hockey skills in every hockey player wanting to improve their ability. This uniquely designed hockey training center is a one stop shop to provide players with a complete, advanced, skill-developing training program that includes Power Skating, Shooting, Puck handling, Passing and core body strengthening. Coaches include Al Iafrate, Eddi Choi, Christina Kessler, Ryan Munce, Bill Hoover . At over 70,000 sq.ft.; 2 rinks, Goalile pad, shooting pad, dry land training, board room, and multi-purpose room it has become a huge success. Daw left Ice Twice Rinks in December of 2014 after being diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Disability

Daw was originally diagnosed with a rare condition known as arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. During a numbers of tests, medical doctors in 1990 re-diagnosed Daw with an even rarer condition known as fetal stroke. The condition has left Daw as one of the rare survivors who have lived longer than any others. Because of how the condition affected Daw the muscles in his legs never grew however he has full feeling and normal usage just not enough strength to walk. Daw also had his left hand and forearm affected which has often affected his classification during his Paralympic career. Due to this condition he is the only Paralympic athlete is history that fulfills classification requirements for both paraplegic and quadriplegicsthus allowing him to participate in wheelchair rugby and sport reserved for quadriplegics.

Personal life

In 2006 it was reported that Daw had three children, with his now ex-wife Mari.[10] In March, 2009 Daw married his now current wife Morgan, a former member of Canada's junior women's softball team. On February 23, 2010, Daw and Morgan gave birth to their only daughter Arowyn Emma Ellie.

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 his often referred to the reason behind his retirement from international sport.[11]

In October of 2014 Daw as diagnose with Renal Cell Carcinoma and of related cancers. He left his job with Ice twice Rinks due to the diagnosis. He underwent surgery in December of 2014 were he had a left nephrectomy and other cancer procedure to treat the carcinoma.

Awards

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.[12]

He has been highly recognized for his accomplishments throughout his 30+ year career, one of the longest active Paralympic careers in history. One of the greatest honors Daw has received has been a World and International Achievements Award in 1988.

Results

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[13] 2006  Italy Torino Skip  Canada
4th Wheelchair Rugby[13] 2000  Australia Sydney Player #10  Canada
Did not medal Wheelchair Adaptive Track[13] 1988  South Korea Seoul Participant  Canada
Did not medal Wheelchair Adaptive Track[13] 1984  United Kingdom Stoke Madeville 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[14] 2002   Switzerland Sursee Skip  Canada
Bronze Wheelchair curling[14] 2004   Switzerland Sursee Skip  Canada
6. Wheelchair curling[14] 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[15] 2003  Ontario Toronto Skip  Canada
Gold Wheelchair curling[15] 2005  British Columbia Richmond Skip  Canada
Gold Wheelchair curling[15] 2006  British Columbia Richmond Skip  Canada
6th[16] Wheelchair curling 2009  Nova Scotia Halifax Skip  Newfoundland and Labrador
Provincial Wheelchair Curling Championship
Finish Event Year Place Position Team
Bronze Wheelchair curling[15] 2011  British Columbia Kimberley 2nd Armstrong
First World Games for Disabled Youth (Nottingham, England)
Finish Event Year Place Result Team
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Gold Wheelchair Adaptive Track [13] 1986  United Kingdom Nottingham World Record  Canada
Awards and Recognition
Award Awarded by; Description Place Year Country
Rick Hansan Relay[17] Town of Strathroy Medal Bearer  Ontario Strathroy, Ontario 2011  Canada
Hall of Fame[18] City of London London Sports Hall of Fame  Ontario London, Ontario 2010  Canada
King Clancy Award[19] 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
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
Provincial Achievement Award Province of Ontario Achievement Award  Ontario 1987  Canada
Provincial Achievement Award Province of Ontario Achievement Award  Ontario 1986  Canada

References

  1. ↑ Vancouver 2010 "Paralympic Perspectives"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2007 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships" (PDF). wheelchaircurling.com. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Times Online
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1
  8. ↑
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Team Canada – Wheelchair curling
  11. ↑
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Daw's profile on paralympic.org
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3
  16. ↑
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑

External links