Oyuna's Paralympic Aspiration

Help Oyuna Uranchimeg make the 2022 Bejing Winter Paralymic Curling Team (Team USA)  When a friend invited me to the Four Season’s Curling Club in Blaine, Minn., to watch wheelchair curling two years ago, I knew nothing about “curling.” I was there just to watch the U.S. National Wheelchair Curling team practice, but the team members invited me on the ice. That day, I pushed the stone for the first time, and I was hooked. For the next few days, I watched replays on YouTube of all the Team USA Wheelchair Curling matches at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics to learn the sport. I was truly inspired by all the players. I thought that could be me someday. I am Oyuna Uranchimeg, and I have used a wheelchair since 2000 after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident that left me paralyzed from waist down. Thanks to the generous support of my family and friends, and the community of amazing people I have met since my injury, I overcame the physical and emotional hurdles after the accident and have worked full-time while raising my children, who are now young adults. Here’s a link to an article about my personal story: https://news.stthomas.edu/humans-st-thomas-batoyun-uranchimeg/  Soon after that first experience with curling, I joined the Adaptive Curling Program within the Courage-Kenny Rehab Institute. I have been curling once a week with my adaptive curling group in the Four Season’s Curling Club. I also joined the Dakota Curling club in Lakeville, Minn., to broaden my options for practice.  Over the past two years, I have participated in three National Wheelchair Curling bonspiels. The first bonspiel took place just three months after I discovered curling. I played as a lead, the player who throws the first rock. My team finished second out of eight teams. When a call came out for pre-trials for the USA National Wheelchair Curling team earlier this year, I applied with my skill drill scores and was invited for the pre-trials that took place in late May in Denver. I competed with 12 other wheelchair curlers from around the country and qualified for the final round of the team selection trial. Since my pretrial success, I've been training to gain a spot in the national team and my efforts have paid off last week during the final trial in Waussau, Wis., and now I am a member of the USA National Wheelchair Curling team. I am one step closer to the opportunity joining the Team USA for the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics and I'm determined to take on this challenge. To continue my journey to Beijing 2022, I am seeking financial support to help with my travel expenses for team training camps, bonspiels and other wheelchair curling events.  Upcoming events:  ·         Team USA Practice Camp/US Open – November 29-December 2, Utica, N.Y. ·         Team USA Practice Camp – February 6-10, Winnipeg, CA ·         2019 World Wheelchair Curling Championship – March 3-10, 2019, Scotland