I grew up in a small oilfield town in Alberta. We had a very close family that we spent a lot of time with. The oldest son was in Grade 12 and wanted to curl in a bonspiel on the weekend, but needed a fourth player, a female. He asked me, so I agreed. Those were the days when we curled around the clock, and I remember going to the curling rink at 2:30 in the morning, I was only 14, so it was a whole new experience for me. We won the bonspiel!
I never curled again, as we moved to another town and then I met my husband. He was curling with his Mum and Dad his Sister-in-law in the mixed league. When I came on the scene, his Sister-in-law asked if I would take her place, it wasn’t her thing. So, I continued the rest of the season. Then the new curling rink was being built, and curling was on hold for that year. When my youngest son was in school for half a day, afternoons, which enabled me to join the Ladies afternoon league. It has been 41 years since that day, I am still curling. I helped with the Junior curling, instructing new junior curlers two days a week, for 10 years, because my sons were both involved in the Junior League. This also made me an Executive member of the curling club, as Junior Curling representative. I was also President of the Ladies Curling Club for two years. I helped organize our 50 years celebration of the Curling Club and have been the Secretary of the Whitecourt Curling Club for the past 3 years.
We formed a family team again, with my husband, his mother, our son and I. We were quite lucky and won quite a few games and bonspiels.
I continue to curl Ladies night League and also Mixed League with my partner. I love to watch curling, on the TV at home, traveling to the Pinty’s curling in Alberta and we went to Las Vegas to watch the Continental Cup. When curling gets in your bones, it stays, as long as your bones hold up. At 73 years old, I hope that I can continue to participate for a few more years.
