1. How did you first get introduced to curling?

My mom curls and helped teach/instruct curling when I was growing up, so rather than leave me at home I was brought to the curling club and hung out in the lounge. Once I was old enough to get on the ice it was an easy transition getting into little rocks and junior curling.

 

2. Was there someone or something that was a key motivating factor for you to curl and to aspire to play at a high level?

I can vividly remember watching the 2006 Winter Olympics when Team Canada won gold with a team of mostly young guys (Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab) and the seasoned vet Russ Howard. Seeing those guys reach one of the pinnacles of our sport and go on the run they did was very inspiring, and showed that you could make that jump at that age if you dedicated yourself.

 

 

Be in the Know With SWSCD: Meet Elite Canadian Curlers Team Brandwood

Meet Team Brandwood: The Backstory on Skip Chelsea Brandwood

Meet Team Brandwood: The Backstory on Vice Megan Smith

Meet Team Brandwood: The Backstory on Second Brenda Chapman

Meet Team Brandwood: The Backstory on Lead Keira McLaughlin

 

3. What would you tell someone aspiring to be a high level curler to do to develop the skills and mindset needed to be able to compete and play at the highest levels of the game?

Have a purpose/goal for every practice, game, competition, etc; I think it helps to fuel and track progress, and provides pivotal feedback and motivation. It also helps develop good routines and to work on the little details that can make the difference at high levels. All too often people throw rocks just to throw rocks.

 

4. What do you enjoy most about the game of curling?

I would say two aspects stand out: A) The strategy; there’s a reason why people call it chess on ice, B) The comraderie between players and teams; there’s not many sports or activites where you compete against an opponent then sit down and chat with them afterwards. Also, your team can start to feel like family if you play with the same people for a prolonged period of time.

 

 

5. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 10 year old self?

Don’t be afraid to seek out opportunities; whether it’s an opportunity to play in an event/bonspiel, an opportunity to play with new people, or an opportunity to make new connections, they all open up posibilities. You never know where you’re going to meet people, friends, or teammates that create lifelong relationships, or memories in this sport.

 

6. Do you have a favourite memory that stands out in your curling career to date?

Winning the 2019 Canadian Curling Club Championships. It was an amazing expereince to represent Ontario at a national and to win was just the cherry on top. It was awesome seeing all the hard work we put into it pay off, and it was an awesome week out in Leduc with some great teammates, friends, and family.

 

 

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in the game of curling?

Everyone strives for perfection, but make sure you’re realistic with yourself and your team. Very rarely does anyone curl 100%, and those small number of instances happen to the very best of the best, on perfect ice surfaces, with perfect rocks. Often times people get too hung up on the outcome of the shot, and not the process of it. If you did everything to the best of your ability, but the shot didn’t work out, that’s the way it goes sometimes, and you shouldn’t hang your head about it.

 

8. What one suggestion/recommendation would you make to increase what Canadians know about high-level competitive curling and the elite players who compete to be the best in the game? How do you see this making a difference?

We need to make curling more accessible to Canadians, both from a viewership/media perspective and from a curling club/organizational perspective. Having more avenues of viewership and promotion can expose people to our great game, and the awesome athletes who play at the high levels.

 

Couple the above with an increasing means of getting people into curling clubs and trying the sport, and that will hopefully create a wider reach of Canadians that have seen or tried the sport, and thus have an awareness or appreciation for our elite athletes.

 

As an example, the Winter Olympics is great promotion for curling. Unfortunately, the Winter Olympics only happens every four years. So it's imperative to consider new and additional ways to sustain the wave of interest that ultimately gets more people trying and following the sport of curling.

 

 

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