Montana Veteran Katie Verderber Selected for 2026 Paralympics

HELENA — Army veteran and Montana attorney Katie Verderber has been selected to represent Team USA in wheelchair curling at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

USA Curling announced the five-member roster^1 Monday following a demanding selection camp. Verderber joins Matthew Thums and Dan Rose of Wisconsin, Oyuna Uranchimeg of Minnesota, and Sean O'Neill of Massachusetts.

This will be Verderber's first Paralympic appearance. The U.S. seeks its first medals in wheelchair curling, which was added to the Paralympic program in 2006^2.

A Valier native, Verderber has long been committed to serving her state and country. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Montana Western and her law degree from Syracuse University College of Law before commissioning as a Judge Advocate General officer in the U.S. Army. She provided legal counsel on issues ranging from military justice to national security and deployed to Afghanistan in 2019.

After medical retirement from the Army due to injuries, she turned to adaptive sports and found wheelchair curling—rekindling her competitive drive and creating a new path to represent her country.

"If anything comes from this, I want to share the message that you can still achieve whatever dreams you may have despite illness or disability," Verderber said.

After returning to Montana, Verderber served as a civil litigator for the Montana Department of Justice before joining Silverman Law Office, where she focuses on business, contract, real estate and probate litigation.

"We are incredibly proud of Katie," said Silverman Law Office CEO Joel Silverman. "Her work ethic, character, and determination are evident in everything she does, both in the courtroom and on the ice."

National Wheelchair Team Director Pete Annis said the selection decisions were difficult. "So many players were deserving, and the choices were extremely difficult," Annis said. "In the end, we chose consistent performers who, collectively, create a powerful team dynamic."

For teammates Matthew Thums and Oyuna Uranchimeg, this will be a second Paralympic appearance^1. Sean O'Neill, Dan Rose, and Verderber will make their debuts at these Games.

The Paralympic Winter Games begin March 6, 2026, and will be televised on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.