CAPE COD, Mass. — While there is a lot of focus on the Winter Olympics, which will be held in February, there’s another high-level competition scheduled for March.
That’s when the Paralympic Winter Games, which feature athletes with disabilities, will take place.
Sean O’Neill, a Cape Cod native, will travel to Italy as part of Team USA as part of the curling squad.
That’s the game that’s played on ice and is often referred to as a mix of chess and shuffleboard.
Team USA will be one of ten teams from around the world vying for gold.
“There’s not a point where I could have imagined being a Paralympian,” said O’Neill, who is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a severe car accident during his college years.
He had always loved sports and kept at it, even taking part in the Boston Marathon.
He picked up curling about four years ago at the Cape Cod Curling Club in Falmouth, and things really took off.
“I had always thought my athletic achievement would top out at my doing a marathon or two. Nothing about being on a world stage, being at the Paralympic Games. Playing sports on TV sounds insane, but that’s something I will do. So surreal is a huge understatement for it.”
With just four years of experience, O’Neill is considered new to the game.
Coach Pete Annis said, despite that short tenure, O’Neill was a natural choice for the team.
“He’s a good teammate, and in his young career, his strategy and knowledge are outstanding, and he’s a great leader.”
O’Neill’s new heightened profile can also provide inspiration to others with any range of disabilities.
“I think an easy answer is that is you don’t have any limits. But I think there’s something to be said for understanding your disability, embracing what your ability is, and making the most of it to be the best you can.”
One thing’s for sure.
Despite all this new attention, O’Neill won’t forget where he came from.
“I love Cape Cod, this is absolutely my favorite place in the world, to be on the Cape.”
Neither will he forget the Cape Cod Curling Club where he honed is craft.
“The inclusivity that we have here at the club, I think, is a microcosm of the things I love about the Cape. So, to be able to try and carry those values and those aspects that I love about the Cape and this club and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, truly writ large, to the world stage, it’s beyond an honor. It makes me emotional to think about it, to talk about it.
O’Neill will be the 4th Paralympian to come out of the Cape Cod Curling Club.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW