Curling Canada, the National Wheelchair Curling Program, and the curling community mourn the loss of a wheelchair curling inspiration. Canadian, world and Paralympic champion Darryl Neighbour died in August at the age of 78 in Richmond, B.C.
Neighbour was part of one of Canada’s most dominant strings of success in wheelchair curling, earning gold in international competition for three consecutive years, playing third for skip Jim Armstrong. Neighbour won gold for Canada at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and at the world championships in 2009 and ’11.
“Darryl and I shared many national team firsts together—our first world championships, our first gold medals and our Hall of Fame inductions,” said Ina Forrest, one of Neighbour’s teammates at the 2010 Paralympic Games. “He was a fierce competitor and a great champion, teammate and builder of the sport. He lived his life with a smile and determination, through all the challenges, just to get back on the curling ice. It will be a sad day in many Lower Mainland curling clubs without Darryl there, with his smile and kick-your-butt spirit.”
In 2004, Neighbour tried wheelchair curling at the Marpole Curling Club in Vancouver. Later that year, he played in the inaugural Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship. It was the first of four straight appearances, leading to gold in 2007 as skip for British Columbia. He won his second of three Canadian titles in 2009 as part of Armstrong’s team.
When Team Canada was putting together its roster for the 2008 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, Neighbour received an invitation to try out. It was a life-changing experience: he earned a spot on that team and remained part of the national program for a historic gold-medal run.
“I don’t think words can really say just how incredible it was to be there. The grandstands they had were all metal, so it was like 5,000 kids in there stomping their feet,” Neighbour said in a CurlBC athlete feature about his experience at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. “The noise was deafening. We almost felt sorry for the other teams that were trying to play because every time Canada put a rock in the rings, the place just exploded.”
Neighbour competed at the 2012 world championship but arrived home with a serious blood infection. He battled through colon cancer for the next two years but got back into wheelchair curling in 2014. At age 66, Neighbour won a third Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship in 2015 playing third for British Columbia.
Neighbour overcame every obstacle in his long and successful career and was honoured in 2016 with an induction into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.
“I will fondly remember Darryl’s wonderful warm smile and sense of humour,” said Wendy Morgan, Curling Canada’s National Wheelchair Program Manager from 2007-2022. “He was so passionate about curling and was such a presence in our community and our sport. He knew everyone, everyone knew him, and he was a keen advocate for wheelchair curling.”
Wheelchair curling in Canada is a small, close-knit community of athletes, coaches, and supporters. The entire community will feel his loss deeply, as he made such a lasting impact. His performances inspire many wheelchair curlers pursuing their dreams today, and the curling community will miss him greatly.
