Canadian Paralympic Committee mourns the loss of Paralympic champion Darryl Neighbour

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is mourning the loss of Canadian, world, and Paralympic champion Darryl Neighbour, who died this month at the age of 78 in Richmond, B.C.

Neighbour was part of Canada’s gold-medal winning wheelchair curling team at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and a longtime advocate for his sport.

He was struck and killed by a vehicle while making a legal crossing in his wheelchair on a road near the Richmond Oval.

“Darryl and I shared many national team firsts together – our first world championships, our first gold medals and our Hall of Fame inductions,” said former teammate Ina Forrest to Curling Canada. “He was a fierce competitor and a great champion, teammate and builder of the sport.”

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Neighbour first competed for Canada on the international stage at the 2008 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. He was invited to try out for the team after winning gold at the 2007 national championships, where he was skip for British Columbia.

He went on to play third for skip Jim Armstrong during a three-year stretch that included gold at the 2009 and 2011 world championships and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games – cementing his legacy as one of Canada’s top wheelchair curlers.

After competing at the 2012 world championships in South Korea, Neighbour returned home with a serious blood infection. He subsequently battled colon cancer for two years.

He returned to wheelchair curling in 2014 and a year later captured his third Canadian championship at the age of 66.

Neighbour was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2016.

He was also a giant in his community in Richmond.

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‘’Although he faced a number of health challenges in the last few years, he continued to show up for our community,’’ said B.C. wheelchair curler Lelainia Lloyd on her Instagram account. “He was always smiling when he had a stick in his hand.

‘’His generosity of spirit, his gentle encouragement and coaching made me a better player. Darryl was a gentleman both on and off the ice. I feel lucky to have known him.’’

A strong competitor who was dedicated to growing wheelchair curling in his community, Neighbour has made a lasting impact on his sport. He will be missed by the entire Canadian Paralympic family. The Canadian Paralympic Committee extends its deepest sympathies to Neighbour’s family, friends, and the wheelchair curling community.

With files from Curling Canada