Miskew realizing a childhood dream by going to the Olympics with her ‘sister’

By Charlie Pinkerton

As Chelsea Carey’s final stone came to a halt at the 2017 Roar of the Rings, the feed of the nationally broadcasted Olympic curling qualifier cut to Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew to catch the expressions on the faces of Team Canada’s new skip and third.

But the viewers at home missed the looks of Miskew and Homan as the two already had their arms locked around each other with their faces clenched in the other’s shoulder, in an Olympic-embrace more than 16 years in the making.

“You can always imagine, but you never really think it’s going to be a reality and I think that’s why we were both just in utter shock and happiness at the other end for a few seconds because we just needed to take that time for the two of us,” Miskew said about the moment between Homan, who she calls a sister.

The two’s tenure as teammates dates back to 2002, when as 12-year-olds their fathers thought to bring them together as a team for the local Junior SuperSpiel qualifier, which they placed well enough in to advance to the event that draws some of the world’s best youth talent in the sport.

“We’ve known each other for so long and played together and battled and tried so hard to be better and be the best and it’s really hard work,” Miskew added.

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Even without their Olympic bid as the exclamation point, the team’s success already in the season was a testament to their hard work. Prior to the Roar of the Rings, Team Homan won the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2017 World Women’s Curling Championship – doing so unbeaten.

As for clinching an Olympic Bid with a victory at the Roar of the Rings, in the moments after, Miskew told the Ottawa Sportspage it felt surreal.

“I always wanted to grow and continue to be a better player but I never really thought of this at all.”

“Until you kind of get close it seems kind of unrealistic,” she said of the Games, adding that to compete at the Olympics has always been a dream.

-With files from Dan Plouffe.

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