By Brendan McConnell
The fall is usually relatively quiet in the curling world, but the roar is louder this year for a quintet of Ottawa curlers who have their sights set squarely on Dec. 1-8. In less than two months, Team Homan – made up of skip Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk, and Lisa Weagle – and Team Glenn Howard lead Craig Savill will compete at the Roar of the Rings Canadian Olympic team trials in Winnipeg.
Homan’s Ottawa Curling Club rink will enter the event as the defending Canadian champions, following their first Scotties Tournament of Hearts triumph last winter in Kingston. Aside from raised stakes and a favourite tag, another major difference this year for Team Homan is that curling is their sole profession. Thanks to the federal government national carding money that goes to the Canadian champions and increased sponsorship stemming from their run to world bronze, the team members have been able to leave their “real-world” jobs aside and focus all their energy on being in peak form to make a push for the Olympics.
“This year we’re really focusing on getting ready for the trials,” highlights Weagle, who’s taking time off from work in Sport Canada’s communications department. “We know that communication is really the difference-maker for our team, so that’s something that we spend a lot of time on. We really want to make sure we have a solid system heading into the trials.”
Being on the ice almost every day and not having to worry about rushing back to work is a welcome new luxury for Team Homan members, all of whom are in their mid-20s. “We’re all putting in as much time as we can in terms of training,” notes Weagle, emphasizing the importance of recovery time to be in peak form and to not get fatigued as the season wears on. “I find I have a lot more time for that now and I’m feeling a lot more relaxed, focused and prepared,” adds the 2013 Scotties MVP.
Team Homan finished as the top Canadian team at their lone World Curling Tour event to date this season, going 5-2 at the Shorty Jenkins Classic in Brockville, losing only to 2012 world champion Mirjam Ott of Switzerland. The Ottawa-based rink of Brit O’Neill, Jamie Sinclair, Kim Brown and Trish Scharf reached the semi-final in Brockville, also falling to champion Ott. Savill competed in Brockville as well, reaching the quarter-final round before bowing out to Jeff Stoughton with a 3-3 record.
Third time’s a charm for Savill?
While not having the benefit of putting their day jobs on hold, for Savill and Team Howard, it’s still all about the Olympic trials – a competition the 34-year-old has done three times before to no avail. “The Olympics is our #1 goal in everything that we’re focused on,” signals Savill, the lone Ottawa native on the team. “We’ve been trying to do a few things differently so that we’re prepared a bit earlier this season.”
Time over the summer with sports psychologists and season planning in order to train efficiently as possible are two staples. “We probably won’t be playing as many tournaments as a lot of other teams, so we want to make sure we’re coming into this season more fit than ever,” explains Savill, adding that the game plan is to ensure the team peaks right before the trials.
The goal is very much the same for both Team Homan and Howard. “We really want to win a medal for Canada,” Weagle states. “But we don’t want to look too far ahead – right now the trials are our big focus. The ability to wear the maple leaf at the Olympics would be such a big thrill for our team, so we’re hoping everything comes together in December.”
Savill has four world championships gold medals in his possession – the 1998 and 1999 juniors and 2007 and 2012 men’s worlds – but he’d still like to add to that. “I’ve always grown up hoping and wishing I could experience and play in the Olympics,” Savill underlines. “And that’s the one thing I’m missing in my curling career – being an Olympian.”