Helena attorney Katie Verderber joins U.S. wheelchair curling national team

USA Curling has named Helena attorney and Paralympian Katie Verderber to its 2026-27 national wheelchair curling team, putting her on the four-year path toward the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games. The selection comes after a camp in Colorado and ahead of a key qualifier in Finland next month.

Why it matters: - Verderber is now inside USA Curling’s national pipeline for world championships and the Paralympic Winter Games. - The selection moves the Helena attorney closer to a potential spot at the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Winter Games. - USA Curling’s team pool is the gateway to the sport’s biggest international events.

What happened: - USA Curling named Katie Verderber to the 2026-27 USA Wheelchair Curling National Team on Sept. 8. - The announcement followed a three-day selection camp at Rock Creek Curling in Lafayette, Colorado. - USA Curling selected eight athletes for the roster. - Verderber joined Steve Davis, Laura Dwyer, Steve Emt, Emily Obert, Sean O’Neill, Shawn Sadowski and Jeff Snover. - USA Curling will finalize mixed team lineups, with five athletes on each competition team, as events get closer.

The details: - The national team is the group USA Curling uses to build squads for world championships and the Paralympic Games. - The International Paralympic Committee has confirmed wheelchair curling for the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Winter Games, scheduled for March 1-10, 2030. - Selection to the national team does not guarantee a 2030 Paralympic berth. - The U.S. team opens competition in Lohja, Finland, at the World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship from Nov. 22-30. - The Americans will compete there for a spot in the 2027 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. - Verderber made her Paralympic debut in March at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. - She competed on the U.S. mixed team with Matthew Thums, Oyuna Uranchimeg, Sean O’Neill and Dan Rose. - The U.S. team finished outside the medals, with several losses by a single point. - Verderber had taken up curling only two years before that debut.

Between the lines: - Verderber’s selection reflects a rapid rise from adaptive-sports newcomer to national-team athlete. - Her military background and legal career add to her profile beyond sport. - The national team announcement also signals the start of the next Olympic and Paralympic cycle for USA Curling.

What's next: - Verderber and the U.S. team head to Finland for the World Wheelchair-B Curling Championship. - Results there will determine whether the Americans advance toward the 2027 world championship. - Final mixed team lineups will be set as competitions approach. - Verderber continues competing from Helena, where she curls with the Last Chance Curling Club.

The bottom line: - Katie Verderber’s national-team selection puts the Helena attorney on the front edge of the U.S. road to 2030.