Wheelchair curling legend Ina Forrest chasing more history at unprecedented 5th Paralympics

In the high-pressure silence of the final end, when a rock doesn’t curl the way it should, Ina Forrest doesn’t panic. She leans on a lesson from her childhood — a simple command to stay tough.

For Forrest, mental strength isn’t just a personality trait — it’s a competitive weapon. As she prepares for a historic fifth Paralympics in wheelchair curling, Forrest reveals that the key to a successful two-decade career isn’t just perfecting the shot; it’s mastering the art of focus and blocking out the noise.

In a sport where fortunes can flip on a dime, Forrest’s seasoned ability to manage the highs and lows is one of her greatest attributes.

“You dig deep and just let all your training take over and stop thinking. Sometimes that thinking in your head just gets in the way,” Forrest told CBC Sports.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve been strong at that. The focus part just takes over. It’s a very important part of curling, not overthinking.”

It’s a mentality that was first shaped by her rural B.C. upbringing in the small township of Spallumcheen — population of just over 5,000 — where she was raised by pioneer parents who moved there during a time when “you were still building your log house and hauling water.”

“When I was growing up, it was ‘buck up,’ right, ‘be tough.’ You could handle things,” Forrest said. “It was just kind of a family thing as well, that you didn’t fall apart and your emotions didn’t move. So I think that came through in my life in sport.

“I think being able to focus gets you through some of those times where maybe you would feel like you weren’t able to play, or the emotions of the event were taking over.”

The 63-year-old Forrest is set to become the first person in the sport’s history to compete at five Paralympics this March in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. She has medalled at every Games since her golden debut in Vancouver, making her the only person — male or female — to win four Paralympic medals in the sport.

And while some might assume an athlete competing at their fifth Games would be well past their prime, the opposite is true for Forrest — her coach says she’s reached a new level.

“I think she’s the best version of herself that she’s ever been,” said Mick Lizmore, Canada’s head coach in Italy. “She has added new skills and reinforced already solid strengths of hers, to the point that I think she’s more equipped to handle the pressure than she ever has been, because her skills are so strong.”

Inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2016, Forrest’s decorated Paralympic career also includes another gold medal in 2014 (Sochi, Russia) along with bronze in 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea) and 2022 (Beijing). She is also a three-time world champion.

A return atop the Paralympic podium would tie her with fellow Canadian great and B.C. native Sonja Gaudet, who guided Canada to gold in the inaugural 2006 tournament in Torino, Italy, before helping Canada make two successful title defences alongside Forrest.

Forrest will serve as the second on Canada’s team, which also includes veteran skip Mark Ideson, lead Collinda Joseph, third Jon Thurston and Gilbert Dash as alternate.

Competing at the Games is an experience Forrest never takes for granted.

“Just getting to Paralympics is an achievement every time … the best version of yourself has to show up every game just to even have the opportunity,” Forrest said.

Forrest, a co-captain of Canada’s Paralympic delegation, is the unquestioned leader on the ice, with her even-keeled mindset impacting everyone around her.

It will be Ideson’s third straight Paralympics as the team’s skip, but with Dash making his Games debut and both Joseph and Thurston competing at their first edition with fans, Forrest’s leadership and unwavering resilience are invaluable assets.

“In the big crunch-time moments and the meat of a tournament where there’s a lot on the line, you look to those athletes who have been there to provide a steadying, sort of calming influence when it’s needed,” said Lizmore, who specialized in sport psychology at the University of Alberta.

Forrest’s drive for five Paralympic medals begins March 7 against the host Italians at the Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio. The Canadians are ranked second in the world behind two-time defending Paralympic champion China, who they face March 10 in their fifth round-robin game.

Canada will also play Great Britain, Latvia, Sweden, Slovakia, Korea and the United States during the preliminary stage. The full schedule is available here.

Canada is the only country to have won a medal in every Paralympic wheelchair curling tournament.

The Canadian squad will have one final training camp at the beginning of February before a staging camp in Italy a few weeks later.

Even after all these years, Forrest is as motivated as ever to compete, with an unrelenting passion for the sport she is synonymous with.

“I love competition. I love playing the sport. I love being around people that are also that interested in sport. And it’s always changing … it’s an ever-changing chasing of something that you can always get better at. It keeps you motivated, because you just want to be better,” said Forrest, who was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame last October.

And she is still finding ways to improve, sharpening the mental side of her game that is already so strong.

“I’ve spent a lot of time practicing focus technique, so that once it’s my turn for my shot, that’s all I see, and I can preclude everything else that’s going on.”

Lizmore has noticed a difference on the ice.

“Watching old game tape, she seems a little more at ease out there than before. Not any less caring, just a little more at ease,” he said.

And while the losses and missed shots can still leave raw spots, Forrest says she is well equipped to “get past those kind of moments so that they don’t hang with you.”