Dennis Thiessen
Canadian wheelchair curler (born 1961)
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Dennis Thiessen (born April 20, 1961, in Crystal City, Manitoba) is a Canadian wheelchair curler who was part of the winning team in wheelchair curling for Canada at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. He played on the winning Canadian team at the 2013 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. He had his leg amputated following a farm accident at age seventeen.[1] He is the only Manitoban on the team and lives in Sanford, Manitoba.[2]
Crystal City, Manitoba, Canada[1]
appearances3 (2014, 2018, 2022)
| Dennis Thiessen | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 20, 1961 Crystal City, Manitoba, Canada[1] |
| Paralympic appearances | 3 (2014, 2018, 2022) |
Medal record | |
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He was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2019.[3]
Personal
Thiessen was born in Crystal City, Manitoba on April 20, 1961, and now resides in Sanford, Manitoba.[1] He is married and has 2 children. In 1978, when Thiessen was 17 years old, he had an accident in his family's farm and had lost his leg. He was suggested to give wheelchair curling a try in 2005.[4] He said that he was really inspired by another Manitoban winter sportsperson Cindy Klassen and that she was "the ultimate professional and a great representative of Canada".[5] He had also started the organization "Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities".[5]
Career
Sochi 2014
At the age of 52, Thiessen has competed in his first Paralympic Games, he made the tryout two years before in 2012. After seeing the team, he said that "It was just an unbelievable feeling,"[6] Canada won the spot at the top of the podium by beating Russia 8–3. "It was an emotional high" explained Thiessen who has just won his first Paralympic Medal.[7]
