Chris Daw

{{Short description|Canadian Paralympic curler}}

{{BLP sources|date=January 2012}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Christopher Daw

| image = Chrisdaw.jpg

| country = {{CAN}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1970|2|1}}

| birth_place = North York, Ontario

| height = 5 ft 9 in

| weight =

| occupation = Motivational Speaker, Department of National Defense

| education = Strathroy District Collegiate Institute

| alma_mater = University of Tennessee

| hometown = Strathroy, Ontario

| spouse =

| website = {{URL|chrisdaw.ca}}

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry| {{CAN}}}}

{{MedalSport| Wheelchair curling}}

{{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}}

{{MedalGold|2006 Turin|}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Wheelchair Curling Championship}}

{{MedalSilver|2002 Sursee|}}

{{MedalGold|2003 Scotland|}}

{{MedalBronze|2004 Sursee|}}

{{MedalCompetition|Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship}}

{{MedalGold|2004 London|}}

{{MedalGold|2005 Richmond|}}

{{MedalGold|2006 Richmond|}}

{{MedalSport| Sit-volleyball}}

{{MedalCompetition|Para PanAM Games}}

{{MedalBronze|2007 Brazil|}}

}}

Christopher Daw (born February 1, 1970, in North York, Ontario) is a paralympian in wheelchair sports. Internationally, he competed in adaptive track, marathons, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, wheelchair rugby, and curling for Canada.[http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/paralympic-perspectives--chris-daw_38994yw.html Vancouver 2010 "Paralympic Perspectives"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203231449/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/paralympic-perspectives--chris-daw_38994yw.html |date=February 3, 2010 }}

In 1986, Daw won 6 Gold medals and set 6 world records at the first World Games for disabled youth in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He was a member of the 1984 and 1988 Canadian Paralympic adaptive track teams; a 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 when he then won the first ever Gold Medal in the sport in Torino in 2006.

Curling

File:Chris Daw curling.jpg

Daw entered curling in 2000, and helped develop and adapt the sport for the Paralympics. He was the skip of the Canadian team at the 2002 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Sursee, Switzerland, where after six months of training the team won silver.{{cite web|url=http://wheelchaircurling.com/docs/CWCC_2007_program.pdf|title=2007 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships|publisher=wheelchaircurling.com|accessdate=29 November 2010|archive-date=18 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718040018/http://wheelchaircurling.com/docs/CWCC_2007_program.pdf|url-status=live}}

In 2001 Daw won Gold at the World Wheelchair cup of curing in Scotland, defeating rival Frank Duffy. The next year, he would again be the skip of the Canadian team and the Wheelchair Curling championship, again in Sursee, where the team won bronze.

He would finish his curling career as the skip of the Canadian team, which won the first ever Gold in Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics.

In 2007, Daw 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, and relocated 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.

In 2010, it was announced that Daw was returning to competitive curling, joining Jim Armstrong (curler). As Armstrong's second on a local British Columbia 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 announced his retirement in December 2010.{{Cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article742903.ece |title=Times Online |access-date=2010-02-06 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604181913/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article742903.ece |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://wheelchaircurlingblog.blogspot.com/ |title=Home |website=wheelchaircurlingblog.blogspot.com |access-date=2012-01-21 |archive-date=2012-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311084607/http://wheelchaircurlingblog.blogspot.com/ |url-status=live }}

Professional career

In 2012, Daw signed on with Ken Strong and became executive director of Ice Twice Rinks Inc.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ice2ice.ca/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2022-06-29 |archive-date=2014-01-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104223844/http://ice2ice.ca/ |url-status=dead }} in Oakville, Ontario. Programs at the rink were run by experienced coaches such as Al Iafrate, Eddi Choi, Christina Kessler, and Ryan Munce. Daw left Ice Twice Rinks in 2015, which was sold to Jamie Allison; a former NHL player with the Chicago Blackhawks.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oakville-Hockey-Academy/1454361964884901 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326101658/https://www.facebook.com/oakvillehockeyacademy/ |date=2023-03-26 }} {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}

Since 2000 Daw has been a reporter on the sport of wheelchair curling. Daw was a commentator with CBC television during the Paralympic games in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Daw has also worked with CBC on other ventures, including the 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

During his athletic career, Daw has attended over 125 National Championships, 64 World Championships, 4 Paralympics, and 1 Olympics with an estimated medal total of over 1000+ for Canada including a dozen World Championships, 19 World records, and Paralympic Gold medal performances.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

Personal life

In 2006 it was reported that Daw had one child a son; Kyle, with his first wife Mari Brown.{{Cite web |url=http://wheelchaircurling.com/information.htm |title=Team Canada – Wheelchair curling |access-date=2011-01-19 |archive-date=2011-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718040116/http://wheelchaircurling.com/information.htm |url-status=live }} In March 2009 Daw married Morgan Perry, a former member of Canada's junior women's softball team. On February 23, 2010, Daw and Perry gave birth to a daughter Arowyn Emma Ellie. Daw and Perry separated in 2015. On September 15, 2021, Daw's daughter Chantelle Daw died at the age of 27.{{cite web |title=Obituary of Chantelle Daw |url=https://strathroyfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/18504/Chantelle-Daw/obituary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220916045610/https://strathroyfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/18504/Chantelle-Daw/obituary.html |archive-date=2022-09-16 |access-date=2022-09-15 |publisher=Strathroy Funeral Home}}

In April 2010, Daw lost his mother Eleanor Daw. According to Daw, her loss has had a profound change in him which he often referred to the reason behind his retirement from international sport.{{Cite web|url = http://wwwchrisdawca.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-05-30T09%3A56%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=1|title = The Demons of winning GOLD! - A goodbye!|date = 17 December 2016|access-date = 2011-11-07|archive-date = 2023-03-26|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230326101707/http://wwwchrisdawca.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-05-30T09%3A56%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=1|url-status = live}}

In 2010, Daw was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame on September 23, 2010{{Cite web |title=Chris Daw |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5Xu29MgII |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507044738/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5Xu29MgII |archive-date=2016-05-07 |access-date=2016-11-29 |website=YouTube}}

Daw has participated as an athlete in hockey, field, parachuting; rock climbing, badminton and holds high-level black belts in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu.{{cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.chrisdaw.ca/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610165846/http://chrisdaw.ca/ |archive-date=2017-06-10 |access-date=2017-02-13 |website=chrisdaw.ca}}

Selected results

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

!colspan=6 | 30px Olympic Games

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

Alternate

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1984

|{{USA}} Los Angeles

|Alternate

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 30px Paralympic Games

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Curling{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/chris-daw |title=Chris Daw |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |access-date= |archive-date=2021-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130101456/https://www.paralympic.org/chris-daw |url-status=live }}

|2006

|{{ITA}} Torino

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="white" align="center" |4th

|Wheelchair Rugby

|2000

|{{AUS}} Sydney

|Player #10

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="orange" align="center" |Bronze

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1988

|{{KOR}} Seoul

|Participant

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1984

|{{UK}} Stoke Mandeville

|Participant ({{nowrap|4 × 100 m}})

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 30px Para PanAM Games

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

bgcolor="orange" align="center" |Bronze

|Sit-Volleyball

|2007

|{{BRA}} Rio

|Player

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 20px World Wheelchair Curling Championship

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

bgcolor="silver" align="center" |Silver

|Wheelchair curling{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcurling.org/ |title=Home |website=worldcurling.org |access-date=2006-03-16 |archive-date=2011-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303083730/http://www.worldcurling.org/ |url-status=live }}

|2002

|{{SUI}} Sursee

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="Gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair curling

|2003

|{{SCO}} Scotland

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="orange" align="center" |Bronze

|Wheelchair curling

|2004

|{{SUI}} Sursee

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

align="center" |6.

|Wheelchair curling

|2005

|{{SCO}} Glasgow

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

align="center" |4.

|Wheelchair curling

|2007

|{{SWE}} Sollefteå

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 20px Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

bgcolor="Gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair curling{{cite web |url=http://www.wheelchaircurling.com/ |title=Home |website=wheelchaircurling.com |access-date=2022-08-08 |archive-date=2017-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912035255/http://www.wheelchaircurling.com/ |url-status=live }}

|2003

|{{ON}} Toronto

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="Gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair curling

|2005

|{{BC}} Richmond

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="Gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair curling

|2006

|{{BC}} Richmond

|Skip

|{{CAN}}

6th{{cite web|url=http://www.playtimesports.nf.net/curling/ |title=G:\CURLING\NLCA\News\index_main.HTML |accessdate=2010-12-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719132415/http://www.playtimesports.nf.net/curling/ |archivedate=2011-07-19 }}

|Wheelchair curling

|2009

|{{NS}} Halifax

|Skip

|{{NL}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 20px Provincial Wheelchair Curling Championship

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Position

!Team

bgcolor="orange" align="center" |Bronze

|Wheelchair curling

|2011

|{{BC}} Kimberley

|2nd

|Armstrong

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 30px First World Games for Disabled Youth (Nottingham, England)

Finish

!Event

!Year

!Place

!Result

!Team

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="gold" align="center" |Gold

|Wheelchair Adaptive Track

|1986

|{{UK}} Nottingham

|World Record

|{{CAN}}

bgcolor="cccccc"

!colspan=6 | 20px Awards and Recognition

Award

!Awarded by;

!Description

!Place

!Year

!Country

Rick Hansan Relayhttp://www.rickhansenrelay.com/en/gallery-viewer.aspx?gallery=3534&photo=2 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

|Town of Strathroy

|Medal Bearer

|{{ON}} Strathroy, Ontario

|2011

|{{CAN}}

Hall of Fame{{cite web|url=http://www.londonsportscouncil.ca/viewit.php?id%3D11 |title=London Sports Council |accessdate=2010-12-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706184338/http://www.londonsportscouncil.ca/viewit.php?id=11 |archivedate=2011-07-06 }}

|City of London

|London Sports Hall of Fame

|{{ON}} London, Ontario

|2010

|{{CAN}}

King Clancy Award{{cite web|url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/whynot/awards/kingclancy-curling.html |title=Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons |accessdate=2010-12-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010024254/http://www3.sympatico.ca/whynot/awards/kingclancy-curling.html |archivedate=2012-10-10 }}

|King Clancy Foundation

|Outstanding Performance

|{{ON}}

|2007

|{{CAN}}

High Performance Coach of the Year

|Province of Ontario

|Coach of the Year, Wheelchair Athletics

|{{ON}}

|2007

|{{CAN}}

International Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2006

|{{CAN}}

World Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2006

|{{CAN}}

National Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2006

|{{CAN}}

Provincial Achievement Award

|Province of Ontario

|Achievement Award

|{{ON}}

|2006

|{{CAN}}

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2002

|{{CAN}}

International Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2000

|{{CAN}}

World Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|2000

|{{CAN}}

Celebration 88 Medal

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|1988

|{{CAN}}

International Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|1988

|{{CAN}}

JFO Recognition

|Multi Governments

| Awards

|{{UK}}{{USA}}

|1991

|{{UK}}{{USA}}

World Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|1988

|{{CAN}}

National Achievement Award

|Government of Canada

|Achievement Award

|{{CAN}}

|1988

|{{CAN}}

Provincial Achievement Award

|Province of Ontario

|Achievement Award

|{{ON}}

|1988

|{{CAN}}

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year 2005 - 2022

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2007–2022

| CBC Television - Olympic/Paralympic Games

| ON Air talent/Analyst/ Voice over artist

| Credited

=Live streaming=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2007–2022

| Canadian Curling Association - National Championships

| Producer/Commentator

| Credited

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2005

| Murderball

| Athlete

| Uncredited

References

{{Reflist}}