Double duties for Paralympic Dads Mark Ideson and Lasse Eriksson

OTTAWA – There’s no question Mark Ideson knows what it’s like to feel pressure on the world’s biggest stage.

Just for a reminder, he delivered one of the greatest shots in wheelchair curling history at the Paralympic Winter Games in March. With time running out for the last shot, he edged out a Chinese stone to lead Canada to the gold medal and an unmatched 11-0 record.

Yet watching his daughter compete from the coach’s position may have been even more nerve wracking as he made his unexpected debut in the profession.

“It’s a lot more stressful coaching than playing,” Ideson, a four-time Paralympian, told CPC. ‘’You kind of feel out of control.’’

With Father’s Day on the horizon, Ideson and Para alpine skiing coach Lasse Eriksson are sharing a unique experience. Helping guide their own children through international sport while learning to balance the roles of parent and coach.

If you thought Ideson returned home from Milano Cortina to bask in the glory of Canada’s historic victory and be wined and dined in every town between London and Parry Sound, think again.

His daughter, Brooklyn Ideson, didn’t ask him to borrow the car, but coach her and her mixed doubles partner Owen Purcell at both the national junior championships – where they won – and then the U21 world championships at which they captured silver.

After the Games, Ideson quickly enrolled in coaching courses and completed them in time to guide the pair at both events.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Ideson (@mark.ideson)

“If you’ve ever watched him curl, you know he’s pretty calm and collected,” Brooklyn told Curling Canada. “That’s the same kind of energy he brings as a coach too. He keeps us grounded out there, and gave us some great advice in big moments.

‘’It was pretty special to have him out there.” 

While Ideson was discovering coaching alongside his daughter on the curling ice, the Erikssons have been balancing the same father-coach dynamic on the ski slopes since 2023.

For the Erikssons, the father-coach relationship developed after Kalle became visually impaired five years ago and eventually worked his way onto Canada’s Para alpine ski team.

The elder Eriksson has been coaching Para alpine skiing since 1996, but coaching his own son brought new challenges.

‘’I absolutely have to split between being a Dad and a coach,’’ Lasse Eriksson told the International Paralympic Committee after the 2026 Games. “We made that relationship very clear before he made the team. When we’re racing, he’s just another team member.’’

Kalle appreciates having his father alongside him in a partnership that spans nearly 12 months a year when training and competition schedules are combined.

‘’Having my Dad as a coach is awesome,’’ Kalle said. ‘’It’s always having him around when we’re travelling those long winters.’’

The arrangement has also produced remarkable results. Kalle and his guide, Sierra Smith, won three medals in Kalle’s Paralympic debut at Milano Cortina – moments neither son nor father will forget.

‘’Winning a medal at my first Paralympic Games is an amazing feeling,’’ said Kalle. “It’s something I did not think I would be able to achieve right off the bat.’’

For his father, the achievement carried special significance.

‘’This is an amazing moment to share with my son,’’ Lasse said. ‘’I’m very happy to be able to be here for his first Games success. His success is the result of determination and hard work.’’

Both fathers say the key to making the arrangement work is understanding when to switch roles.

Ideson says he focuses on advice and support rather than trying to control the outcome.

‘’You just try to provide perspective to Brooklyn and Owen before they get on the ice,’’ he said.

The coaching experience has given him a new appreciation for the profession as he plans to compete through another Paralympic cycle.

‘’You never know what the future holds,’’ he said. “I’d like to keep playing, but I do see coaching as something I’ll pursue in the future.”

The medals may be the ultimate outcome but as Father’s Day arrives the memories belong to the families who helped them get there.