What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
When Matt Thums rolled into the Wausau Curling Club back in 2012, he had no idea that a casual learn-to-curl session would launch him to the world stage. Now, the 49-year-old accountant from Weston is packing his bags for Northern Italy, where he’ll skip Team USA’s wheelchair curling squad at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics.
It’s a journey that puts a spotlight on our corner of Wisconsin — and shows what’s possible when small-town accessibility meets world-class determination.
Thums heads to Minnesota next week for final training before the games. His confidence is steady, his focus sharp, and his connection to the Wausau community stronger than ever.
Thums didn’t grow up dreaming of Paralympic glory. Born in Hamburg, Germany, and raised right here in Wisconsin, he built a career in accounting and estimating for Denyon Homes, a local residential builder.
He was 35 when he first tried wheelchair curling at the Wausau Curling Center. Club members taught him the basics — how to grip the stone, how to read the ice, how to release with just the right touch.
Within four years, he made the national team. By 2022, he was competing in Beijing. Now he’s the skip — the team captain and strategic leader — heading into his second Paralympics.
“I came down to try it out and a couple of club members worked with me,” Thums told local media. That simple welcome from the Wausau curling community became the foundation for international success.
If you’ve watched traditional curling during the Winter Olympics, you’ve seen the frantic sweeping — teammates furiously brushing the ice to guide stones toward their target. That element disappears in wheelchair curling.
Athletes can’t sweep. Once the stone leaves your hand, physics takes over.
“There’s nothing to manipulate the stone. It’s however much weight you put on the rock and the line that you put on it and wherever it ends up, it’s going to end up.” — Matt Thums
This constraint transforms wheelchair curling into a game of pure precision and strategy. Every throw must account for ice conditions, stone weight, trajectory, and how it will interact with other stones already in play. There’s no second chance to adjust.
The mental chess match intensifies. Skips like Thums must think several moves ahead, calculating angles and outcomes without the safety net of post-release corrections.
As skip, Thums calls the shots. He reads the ice, decides which stones to throw where, and guides his teammates through each end of play.
His competitive resume backs up the responsibility:
But Thums emphasizes something beyond medals: team chemistry. “It’s the strategy, it’s more team camaraderie,” he said. “You play with a group of fun people to be around and they understand your personalities and how you get along.”
That bond matters when the pressure mounts. The team hasn’t played together for long, but Thums believes the connection is there. “After the first game or two everybody will calm down and we will do pretty well.”
Thums’s journey highlights something special about the Northwoods: accessibility and community support create opportunities.
The Wausau Curling Club welcomed him without hesitation. Members took time to teach. The facility provided the space to practice and grow.
Small gestures — a few club members showing someone how to throw a stone — can ripple outward. Thums now represents the United States on the Paralympic stage, carrying the spirit of Wausau with him.
Our region has become a development hub for wheelchair curling in the U.S., proving that world-class athletes can emerge from communities that prioritize inclusion and access.
The games begin soon in Milan and Cortina, Italy. Thums will compete against the world’s best wheelchair curlers in mixed team competition.
He’s bringing 14 years of experience, countless hours on Wisconsin ice, and the support of an entire community. Whether you’ve curled at the Wausau club or just cheered from home, there’s a local connection to celebrate.
Keep an eye on Team USA’s coverage as the Paralympics unfold. When Thums takes the ice as skip, he’s not just representing Team USA — he’s carrying a piece of the Northwoods with him.
And win or lose, he’s already shown what matters most: that dedication, community support, and a willingness to try something new can take you places you never imagined.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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