Curling clinic in Ferndale offers adaptive 'chess on ice' experience

An adaptive curling clinic at the Detroit Curling Club in Ferndale let about eight participants try the sport with volunteers and instruction from USA Curling Board chair Bret Jackson, using simple equipment and facility changes to improve access.

A small clinic at the Detroit Curling Club in Ferndale invited people with physical differences to try curling in an adaptive format. Participants and volunteers spent time on the ice learning how to deliver 40-pound granite stones and to move in ways that fit their abilities. The session included instruction from Bret Jackson, chair of the USA Curling Board, shortly before he traveled to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Organizers and a local physical therapist described adaptive sport as a way to build confidence and connect therapy to community activity. Event details: - The clinic drew roughly eight participants plus volunteers at the Detroit Curling Club in Ferndale. - Bret Jackson, USA Curling Board chair, led instruction just days before heading to the Olympics in Milan. - Krystina Harms, a physical therapist and founder of MATRX Health & Fitness in Macomb, emphasized that adaptive sport can reveal therapy goals and boost self-confidence. - Participants included Leland Foster, who was born with cerebral palsy, and others who use wheelchairs; one participant described curling as "chess on ice" and likened it to trigonometry. - The club has made modest facility changes, such as removable sideboards so chairs can roll onto the ice, to improve access. Summary: Participants reported enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment, and organizers said the clinic can help link rehabilitation goals with community activity. Club members Maryanne Wessels and co-chair Quentin Way are working to grow the adaptive program, and plans for expansion are undetermined at this time.