Over 30 participants unite in Finland for landmark women’s Para ice hockey camp

Women’s Para ice hockey continues to break new grounds. Vierumaki, Finland hosted another major milestone for the sport with the first international USA's Women’s Para Ice Hockey Foundation Development Camp, held from 4 to 7 June.

Over 30 participants from 10 nations – Australia, Czechia, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia and hosts Finland – took part in the four-day programme at the Vierumaki Olympic Training Centre. 

Sanctioned by World Para Ice Hockey (WPIH), the camp was designed by the USA's Women’s Para Ice Hockey Foundation to increase female participation. It was led by Team USA world champion and long-time advocate Monica Quimby, who just two weeks ago was in Mexico supporting the development of Para ice hockey at the annual WPIH Skills Development Camp, introducing the sport to Mexican and Brazilian athletes.

Quimby was one of the camp instructors with fellow Team USA world champions Erica McKee and Catherine Faherty. 

To help cover operational costs, the US Women’s Para Ice Hockey Foundation also launched a fundraising campaign. Participants received on-ice training, classroom sessions, uniforms accommodation, meals, and local transportation, ensuring the camp remained accessible to athletes from a wide range of regions.

Learning, connecting, sharing, and improving, that’s what development camps are all about! 🫶🇫🇮#ParaIceHockey pic.twitter.com/FeOKbeOM0w

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) June 5, 2026

“We had 83 applications from 16 countries. This is about long-term growth, visibility, and opportunity for women in Para ice hockey at every level,” Quimby said. “The first Women’s Para Ice Hockey Development Camp in Finland represents a major step forward in growing the women’s game internationally – creating more complete national programmes, increasing participation, and strengthening the pathway toward future Women’s World Championships and Paralympic Games inclusion. The goal is simple: keep building, keep expanding and keep creating space for the next generation of women in our sport.” 

The inaugural Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships, held last year in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia, officially placed the sport on the pathway toward future Paralympic inclusion. Many athletes who competed in Dolny Kubin also joined the camp in Vierumaki, including Slovak players Emma Maria Simakova and Michaela Hozakova, who represented Team World at the World Championships. They were joined by Team Manager Miroslav Drab, who assisted the instructors at the camp.

Japan’s Akari Fukunishi, who competed at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and became only the fourth female player to take part in a Paralympic open Para ice hockey tournament, was also among the participants.

The camp additionally welcomed two-time Paralympic medallist and four-time world champion in Para athletics Amanda Kotaja, who joined the Finnish group of players.