| Christopher Daw | |
| Birth Date: | 1 February 1970 |
| Birth Place: | North York, Ontario, Canada |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in |
| Occupation: | Executive,Manager,Keynote Speaker |
| Education: | Strathroy District Collegiate Institute |
| Alma Mater: | University of Tennessee |
| Hometown: | Strathroy, Ontario |
| Spouse: | Elizabeth Daw |
Christopher Daw (born February 1, 1970) is a Legendary Canadian Paralympian in wheelchair sports. internationally, he competed in adaptive track, marathons, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, wheelchair rugby, and curling for Canada.[1]
In 1986, Daw won 6 Gold medals and set 6 world records at the first World Games for disabled youth in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He was a member of the 1984 and 1988 Canadian Paralympic adaptive track teams; a member of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team, and member of the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team at the 2000 Summer Paralympics before taking up wheelchair curling in 2000 when he then won the first ever Gold Medal in the sport in Turin in 2006.
Daw entered curling in 2000, and helped develop and adapt the sport for the Paralympics. He was the skip of the Canadian team at the 2002 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Sursee, Switzerland, where after six months of training the team won silver.[2]
In 2003 Daw won Gold at the World Wheelchair cup of curing in Scotland, defeating rival Frank Duffy. The next year, he would again be the skip of the Canadian team and the Wheelchair Curling championship, again in Sursee, where the team won bronze.
He would finish his curling career as the skip of the Canadian team, which won the first ever Gold in Wheelchair curling at the 2006 Winter Paralympics.
In 2007, Daw withdrew his name from the Team Canada selection process that could have led to a spot on the 2010 Winter Paralympics. He resurfaced as part of the Wheelchair Curling Team for Newfoundland as Skip in 2008, and relocated to British Columbia in 2009. He was the General manager of the Vancouver Curling Club when it took over the Olympic Curling center (now Hillcrest Center) in 2011.
In 2010, it was announced that Daw was returning to competitive curling, joining Jim Armstrong (curler). As Armstrong's second on a local British Columbia team in provincial play-downs; with hopes of representing Team BC. Team Armstrong was unsuccessful in capturing the 2011 BC Championship title. Armstrong would later move to Ontario.
Daw announced his retirement in December 2010.[3] [4]
Daw has
In 2012, Daw signed on with Ken Strong and became executive director of Ice Twice Rinks Inc.[5] in Oakville, Ontario. Programs at the rink were run by experienced coaches such as Al Iafrate, Eddi Choi, Christina Kessler, and Ryan Munce. Daw left Ice Twice Rinks in 2015, which was sold to Jamie Allison; a former NHL player with the Chicago Blackhawks.[6]
Since 2000 Daw has been a reporter on the sport of wheelchair curling. Daw was a commentator with CBC television during the Paralympic games in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Daw has also worked with CBC on other ventures, including the 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships.
During his athletic career, Daw has attended over 125 National Championships, 64 World Championships, 4 Paralympics, and 1 Olympics with an estimated medal total of over 1000+ for Canada including a dozen World Championships, 19 World records, and Paralympic Gold medal performances.
In 2006 it was reported that Daw had one child a son; Kyle, with his first wife Mari Brown.[7] In March 2009 Daw married Morgan Perry, a former member of Canada's junior women's softball team. On February 23, 2010, Daw and Perry gave birth to a daughter Arowyn Emma Ellie. Daw and Perry separated in 2015. On September 15, 2021, Daw's daughter Chantelle Daw died at the age of 27.[8]
In April 2010, Daw lost his mother Eleanor Daw. According to Daw, her loss has had a profound change in him which he often referred to the reason behind his retirement from international sport.[9] Daw would later loss his Father Ivan Daw in November of 2022 [10]
In 2010, Daw was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame on September 23, 2010[11]
Daw has participated as an athlete in hockey, field, parachuting; rock climbing, badminton and holds high-level black belts in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu.[12]
| Olympic Games | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Alternate | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1984 | Los Angeles, United States | Alternate | |
| Paralympic Games | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Gold | Wheelchair Curling[13] | 2006 | Turin, Italy | Skip | |
| 4th | Wheelchair Rugby | 2000 | Sydney, Australia | Player #10 | |
| Bronze | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | Participant | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1984 | Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom | Participant | |
| Para PanAM Games | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Bronze | Sit-Volleyball | 2007 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Player | |
| World Wheelchair Curling Championship | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Silver | Wheelchair curling[14] | 2002 | Sursee, Switzerland | Skip | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Curling World Cup[15] | 2003 | Glasgow, Scotland | Skip | |
| Bronze | Wheelchair curling | 2004 | Sursee, Switzerland | Skip | |
| 6. | Wheelchair curling | 2005 | Glasgow, Scotland | Skip | |
| 4. | Wheelchair curling | 2007 | Sollefteå, Sweden | Skip | |
| Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Gold | Wheelchair curling[16] | 2003 | Toronto, Canada | Skip | |
| Gold | Wheelchair curling | 2005 | Richmond, Canada | Skip | |
| Gold | Wheelchair curling | 2006 | Richmond, Canada | Skip | |
| 6th[17] | Wheelchair curling | 2009 | Halifax, Canada | Skip | |
| TBD | Wheelchair curling | 2026 | Boucherville, Canada | Skip | |
| Provincial Wheelchair Curling Championship | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Position | Team |
| Bronze | Wheelchair curling | 2011 | Kimberley, Canada | 2nd | Armstrong |
| Silver | Wheelchair Curling | 2026 | Richmond, Canada | Skip | Daw |
| First World Games for Disabled Youth (Nottingham, England) | |||||
| Finish | Event | Year | Place | Result | Team |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Gold | Wheelchair Adaptive Track | 1986 | Nottingham | World Record | |
| Awards and Recognition | |||||
| Award | Awarded by; | Description | Place | Year | Country |
| Rick Hansan Relay[18] | Town of Strathroy | Medal Bearer | Strathroy, Ontario | 2011 | |
| Hall of Fame[19] | City of London | London Sports Hall of Fame | London, Ontario | 2010 | |
| King Clancy Award[20] | King Clancy Foundation | Outstanding Performance | 2007 | ||
| High Performance Coach of the Year | Province of Ontario | Coach of the Year, Wheelchair Athletics | 2007 | ||
| International Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2006 | ||
| World Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2006 | ||
| National Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2006 | ||
| Provincial Achievement Award | Province of Ontario | Achievement Award | 2006 | ||
| Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2002 | ||
| International Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2000 | ||
| World Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 2000 | ||
| Celebration 88 Medal | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 1988 | ||
| International Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 1988 | ||
| JFO Recognition | Multi Governments | Awards | 1991 | ||
| World Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 1988 | ||
| National Achievement Award | Government of Canada | Achievement Award | 1988 | ||
| Provincial Achievement Award | Province of Ontario | Achievement Award | 1988 | ||
