GOLDEN, Colo. - It's never too late to pick up a new hobby, or get your first gold medal.
Pam Wilson, a physician at Children's Hospital Colorado, is about to travel to Beijing for the 2022 Paralympic Games and participate on the Team USA Wheelchair Curling squad as an alternate, just 10 years after first trying the sport.
"It's actually really hard the first time," said Wilson, who is currently quarantining as she gets ready to leave for China at the end of February. "Once I [got the right equipment] and saw how awesome the thing was, I've been curling ever since."
Wilson suffered a spinal cord injury in her 20s from a car accident. She then discovered sports as an outlet.
Before ever moving a 42-pound stone across the ice, Wilson already had many athletic feats - including a national skiing championship. But after conquering the slopes, she was ready for a new challenge and started curling at the Denver Curling Club in Golden.
Nowadays, you can find her there five nights a week, working on her aim with her "delivery stick." Wheelchair curling does not feature the same "sweeping" that people usually associate with the sport, so precision is even more important.
Although making Team USA after just a decade of playing the sport is an accomplishment already, Wilson's competitive edge is as fierce as ever.
"We won't be happy until we bring a medal home, and we're going for the gold," she said.
The Denver Curling Club is holding an Olympic Open House Feb. 4 through Feb. 6.
