Wausau resident Matt Thums heads to Winter Paralympic stage

Wausau resident Matt Thums is headed to the international stage to compete in wheelchair curling, for a remarkable second time.

Thums began his curling career in 2012 after reading about curling opportunities with Wausau Curling Club in his local paper.

As the first wheelchair curler at the Wausau Club, Thums told UpNorthNews it was a learning experience for everyone.

“Not many people there knew how [wheelchair curling] worked, how I was supposed to deliver [the rock] from a wheelchair and everything like that,” Thums said. “So a couple of the members there worked with me, and we just tried some different delivery techniques. And I liked it.”

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Afterwards, he watched Youtube videos on how to wheelchair curl, and signed up for the Wausau curling league the following week.

At the start of his career, Thums said the sport was something he participated in with leagues at a more casual level. Then, in 2016 he headed to the team tryouts for the World Championship, and eventually made it to the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, where the team placed fifth.

He noted the emotions he felt at his first Paralympics.

“You’re just kind of dumbfounded and awestruck,” Thums said. “All the practices and camps and tryouts and traveling all boiled down to the start of the Paralympics, and when you’re finally there, you feel a little relieved.”

Now, he’s headed to compete in Milan, Italy in the 2026 Winter Paralympics as the skip of the mixed wheelchair curling team, a four player team with men and women athletes. As the skip, he will lead the team in strategy, and throw the final two rocks of the match.

He explained the pride he feels not only representing the US, but Wisconsin as well.

“Representing Wausau makes me proud, because everybody at the club says, ‘Hey, we got a member that’s in the Paralympics,’” Thums said. “It’s a big deal because there’s not many of us, and it’s just pride wearing the flag.”

When asked what wheelchair curling meant to him, Thums said it’s the sense of family that is most important.

“There’s probably maybe 50 active members in the whole United States that do wheelchair curling. So we’re all a big family, and it’s just somebody to hang out with on your own level,” Thums said. “[It’s] just a sense of inclusiveness.”

The 2026 Winter Paralympics kick off on March 4, with the mixed wheelchair curling team competing on March 7 against China.