Paralympic athlete brings story of perseverance to St. Paul CES in Lakefield on Red Shirt Day
May 28, 2025
The gymnasium at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield erupted in cheers as students watched a video of Paralympic curler Jon Thurston making the final shot to win Bronze at the 2022 Games against Slovakia.
Thurston, 41, was at the school on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) which was also Red Shirt Day, an annual event in Canada to show support for people with disabilities and their families and to celebrate the achievements of Canadians living with disabilities during National AccessAbility Week (May 25-31).
Thurston spoke to the entire school about his perseverance in sport following a life-changing injury at a construction site when he was 24 years old.
“It was a big change for me. I had to learn how to use a wheelchair,” Thurston said. “This was something I hadn’t experienced before. Thankfully, I had a lot of support.”
In 2008, Thurston, a Dunsford native, was left paralyzed when the storage facility he was working on in Lindsay collapsed in a windstorm.
He was pinned to the ground by the falling debris, shattering a portion of his spine.
Faced with the new reality of not being able to use his legs, Thurston turned to wheelchair curling in 2012.
“Sport changes life – it certainly changed my life. I got to see the world,” Thurston said.
“It’s a joy to hear your journey and that you’ve shared your trials and tribulations with us,” Principal Jennifer DeMaeyer said to Thurston. “Thank you for your positive messaging.”
Thurston also showed videos of himself participating in several adaptive sports including waterskiing, which he has competed in professionally.
“It’s so cool he can do all that stuff while being in a wheelchair,” said Lauren Bell, Grade 8 student. “It’s incredible, really.”
“He can do a lot in sports and in life. It’s inspirational,” added Henry Riel, Grade 6 student. “I’m sure it would be hard to adapt, which is pretty cool to see him do it.”
“It’s pretty cool how many sports he has done,” said James Knott, Grade 8 student. “It would be really hard, but he rose above the expectations and has won a lot of medals.”
Thurston’s goal is to once again curl for Team Canada at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy.