Katie Verderber, a 35-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Jefferson City, Montana, has overcome paralysis to join Team USA's wheelchair curling squad for the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy. After a failed spinal surgery in October 2023 left her unable to walk, Verderber discovered curling in 2024, leading to her rapid rise in the sport. She credits the game with saving her marriage and life.
Katie Verderber's journey from military service to Paralympic athlete began with a back injury in Afghanistan in 2019, while she served as a Judge Advocate General officer. Surgeries in 2021 failed to halt the deterioration of her compressed discs, delayed further by Covid-19. In October 2023, an emergency spinal surgery resulted in paralysis, shattering her expectations of walking again.
Adjusting to wheelchair life proved challenging, limiting activities like hiking near her Jefferson City home or attending outdoor concerts. At a Seattle clinic, Verderber learned about Dream Adaptive, a Montana nonprofit. Soon after discharge, she tried sit-skiing in Whitefish, where she and her wife Danielle had married, providing her first sense of hope.
In March 2024, at the National Disabled Veterans’ Winter Sports Clinic in Colorado, Verderber chose curling as her secondary activity, recalling the U.S. team's 2018 Olympic gold. Despite initial skepticism, former USA Paralympic coach Rusty Scheibe invited her to train with the national team after her first session. She attended camps in Denver, Cape Cod, and competed in the World Championship in Scotland, where Team USA finished second.
Named to the Paralympic team in November 2025, Verderber becomes the first Montanan to represent the U.S. in wheelchair curling. The 35-year-old says, “I'm so thankful for curling... it truly saved my marriage and my life.” Her wife Danielle urged her to embrace the sport, helping Verderber confront her disability.
The team will compete in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in March 2026. Amanda Opitz of Helena’s Last Chance Curling Club praises Verderber's embodiment of the sport's spirit of honesty and sportsmanship. On February 21, 2026, Verderber demonstrated wheelchair curling at a learn-to-curl event in Helena, using delivery sticks to propel stones.
Verderber aims to help Team USA medal for the first time in Paralympic curling, supported by family and friends. She acknowledges ongoing emotions: “I'm going to be angry and sad some days, but it's okay to be happy too.”
