Strong family ties behind curling teams competing in U18 championships in Timmins
The best young curlers from across the country are putting their skills to the test in Timmins this week at the 2023 U18 Curling Championship.
Their skills are what brought them to the national stage, but many of the young curlers will tell you that their curling careers started at an even younger age as a family activity.
“My parents met curling and all of my sisters curled and so, when I was little, I would always go practise with my dad after … they had their own little junior league,” said Grace Beaudry, who’s with the Manitoba team.
Beaudry said competitive curling runs in her family -- and some of the teams here even have family members competing together.
That includes the New Brunswick team.
“Me and my brother and the two other guys we’re with, I don’t think there’s anyone else I’d rather be here with,” said Aiden Matheson, a member of the team.
“It’s just, it’s a wonderful feeling and having my dad as the coach, too.”
“Dream come true, for me,” said his father, Colin Matheson.
“It’s an experience of a lifetime for my kids and for me, to be here and be able to coach them at a national event. It’s fantastic. It’s something I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do and makes me just extremely proud.”
Throwing rocks on the pebbled ice comes naturally to these athletes now. While they all took different paths to this point, many said it all started with developing a love of the sport at a young age and finding inspiration to strive for national acclaim.
“I remember staying up late and I was watching the sport and I said, ‘I wouldn’t mind trying that,” said Aiden Matheson
“I’ve been working hard to try and get there and I guess now we’re at the national level and hoping to go a little farther than that, now.”
“I went to the Manitoba Scotties with my sister,” Beaudry said.
“I knew that my goal one day was to go to nationals and this is my second one, so it’s pretty cool to be here.”
Now these athletes are looking to end the week not only with a championship but with a path toward becoming household names in Canadian curling -- and even beyond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'