When the flame is lit in northern Italy on March 6, it won’t just mark the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games—it will mark another chapter in Saskatchewan’s proud history of producing world-class athletes with world-class heart.
Two of this province’s finest, Gil Dash of Kipling and Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, will wear the maple leaf with purpose, pride, and a good dose of prairie grit.
Their paths to Italy couldn’t be more different. Their shared determination couldn’t be more alike.
If you grow up in a place like Kipling, Sask., you learn early that the rink is the heartbeat of the community. For Dash, the rink wasn’t just a home—it was the foundation.
A self-described “rink rat,” Dash grew up toggling between hockey and curling, following in the footsteps of a family steeped in the sport. His brother curled at junior nationals, his parents threw rocks for years, and the local sheets were where Gil’s story began.
But his next chapter—his most inspiring one—began after tragedy.
In 2006, Dash suffered a broken back and spinal cord damage in a ski-jumping accident in Kimberley, B.C. What could have ended his athletic life instead opened the door to a new one. With guidance from Dr. Robert Capp at Regina’s Wascana Rehabilitation Centre and the support of Moose Jaw physiotherapist and elite wheelchair curler Lorraine Arguin, a budding wheelchair-curling community formed. By 2008, Dash was back on the ice. By 2012, he was a provincial champion—one of many to come.
From there, the rise was steady and undeniable.
Dash debuted at the 2023 World Wheelchair Curling Championships, helping Canada to a silver medal. He followed with another silver in 2024, then skippered the team to bronze in 2025 while longtime Canadian skip Mark Ideson was competing in the mixed team event.
Three straight world championship medals.
Three straight years on the podium.
Three straight reminders that Gil Dash belongs among the world’s best.
Now, at age 57, the next step is monumental: competing in the starting lineup for Canada’s wheelchair curling team at the 2026 Paralympics.
For Dash, it’s not simply a personal milestone—it’s the culmination of every stone thrown, every rehabilitation session endured, and every moment of prairie perseverance.
Meanwhile, few stories in Canadian sport start in the aisles of a Canadian Tire.
But that’s exactly where Brittany Hudak was discovered.
While working a shift in Prince Albert, Hudak was approached by legendary Canadian Paralympian Colette Bourgonje, who introduced her to cross-country skiing and, unknowingly, to her life’s calling. Hudak had competed in dance, basketball, badminton, and track—but skiing clicked immediately.
Fast-forward more than a decade, and Hudak is now a three-time Paralympic bronze medallist, a five-time worlds team member, and one of Canada’s most respected Para nordic athletes. She enters Milano Cortina 2026 not just as a competitor but as a co-captain of the entire Canadian Paralympic Team, a role earned through performance and leadership.
Her résumé since 2014 reads like a masterclass in consistency:
- Bronze – 12.5 km biathlon (2018 Paralympics)
- Bronze – 15 km cross-country (2022 Paralympics)
- Bronze – 12.5 km biathlon (2022 Paralympics)
- Multiple top-five finishes at world championships
- Second overall on the Para biathlon World Cup circuit twice in three seasons
- Two medals (gold/bronze) at the 2024–25 World Cup test event in Val di Fiemme—the same venue that will host the 2026 Paralympic races
And yes, she did all this while rehabbing a knee injury suffered in the offseason, proving yet again that toughness runs deep in northern Saskatchewan.
Off the trails, Hudak is equally impressive. She earned her social work degree from the University of Regina in 2019 and worked as a youth and family support worker through the pandemic.
Her journey from a Prince Albert store to four Paralympic Games is the kind of story that reminds us why sport matters.
From the curling sheets of Kipling to the frosty trails of Prince Albert, Gil Dash and Brittany Hudak showcase the resiliency, character, and quiet determination that define Saskatchewan athletes.
