By Anne Duggan Competing at the Olympic Games is the ultimate button for Rachel Homan’s Ottawa Curling Club rink.
“We usually set our goals pretty high,” notes the team skip. “Every year, since we became a team, the Olympics has been our goal.”
Homan, along with lead Lisa Weagle, second Alison Kreviazuk and third Emma Miskew, could take another big step on that journey with a solid performance at this year’s Canadian championships.
Having advanced safely through the regionals with a perfect 4-0 record on Jan. 6 in Omemee north of Peterborough, the Jan. 21-27 provincials in Kitchener-Waterloo are the only hurdle left in order to claim a berth at the Feb. 16-24 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kingston.
It’s been an excellent season up to this point already for Team Homan. Dominating the November 2012 Grand Slam of Curling in Brantford gave the team “a whole pile of points” – as coach Earle Morris describes it – in its quest to receive an automatic berth into next year’s Canadian Olympic team trials.
Ranked #1 in Canada
Team Homan knocked off Tracy Horgan, Eve Muirhead and Chelsea Carey in the playoff round to win their first career grand slam event and climb to the top of the Canadian Team Ranking System and the World Curling Tour rankings.
“For them to play their best when it really mattered was really neat,” reflects Morris, who coached Homan to world junior silver in 2010.
It was a different tale at last year’s provincials. Team Homan went undefeated leading up to the final – beating Horgan’s rink twice on the way – before Horgan pulled out a two-point win in the final end of the championship match.
“We have been working every day on team dynamics and strategy,” highlights 23-year-old Homan, who works as a personal trainer. “We are a different team with more experience.”
The return of their long-time coach after a two-year hiatus is another team strategy for success.
“I was trying to take a year off and got pulled in by the Jennifer Jones rink,” Morris explains. “So, I was finally taking my year off, after that, when the girls asked me to lunch.”
That was in mid-August, and the former military officer and current curling pro at the Ottawa Curling Club is enthusiastic about the team and his role in their bid for the Olympics.
“I really love to coach, I really love this sport, and, I really love these girls,” notes the father of Vancouver 2010 Olympic gold medalist John Morris, the third for Kevin Martin’s rink.
Curling’s all in the family
Beyond the obvious ties of a common goal and long-term commitment, the quartet all have a family-bound love of the sport of curling. Each of the four Team Homan members began their curling careers at a tender age under the guidance of a family member.
With the Scotties nearby in Kingston this year, there’s no doubt the Ottawa athletes would love to be able to bring a hometown crowd along to watch them.
“It would be really nice to be so close,” notes 24-year-old Kreviazuk, whose grandmother signed her up for a bonspiel for fun when she was young. “Ever since we got together, our parents have taken turns coming to our competitions but this means that my Grandma Nat could come.”
Weagle was introduced to the sport by her parents when she was eight years old.
“I really liked it and I was happy because I didn’t have to go to gymnastics anymore,” smiles the 27-year-old Sport Canada communications officer.
The balancing act between work and sport responsibilities has now become Weagle’s primary challenge, along with the burden of travel, hotel bills and entry fees.
“We are lucky to have good sponsors,” she adds.
Curling is especially demanding on team members in terms of time commitment, says Miskew, 23.
“There’s four of us and only four of us,” emphasizes the Canadian Senate worker who began curling at age 5. “We always have to be there – there’s no extra players like on other teams.”
According to coach Morris, the added years and responsibilities of work have only made this rink better.
“Curling is a sport, at the Olympic level, where you peak between the ages of 29 and 39,” he maintains. “They are continuing on their path of excellence at a very young age.”