Sisterhood of the travelling Curlers?!

Team Canada is in da’ house. I REPEAT: Team Canada is officially in Estonia! 

We have arrived safe and sound without losing any luggage, or better yet, any teammates.  It is truly amazing to think that we travelled halfway across the world in under 15 hours.  Surprisingly, all three of our flights were smooth and comfortable! First we flew from Edmonton to Calgary where we met up with the boy’s team and our team of 7 soon turned to 14! From Calgary, we flew 9 hours to Amsterdam, had a half hour layover and then flew 1.5 hours to Tallinn.

We got into Tallinn around 1pm.  Upon arrival, we checked into the hotel, showered, cleaned ourselves up and then began our first mission: staying awake until 9pm! 

(Easier said then done considering we had been awake since 6am the day before)

The ‘over-tired giggles’ began to sink in around 6pm, and we found ourselves laughing at anything remotely funny. It was a bit of a grind to say the least, but we knew it was a must in order to make our bodies adjust to the time change. Good thing we had the boys around to keep us entertained. 

Thus began our first adventure of this beautiful city. We walked around the touristy part of Tallinn called ‘Old Town.’  It was pretty cool to see the different historical buildings, cobblestone paths, castles, and restaurants.  Everything has so much character here!

Once we returned to the hotel, we signed our banners and got our pins organized to exchange with the other teams.  It’s possible that we were half asleep during the process.  The minute 9pm rolled around it was lights out!!

Time to get a solid 10 hour sleep and wake up refreshed:)

Introducing TEAM CANADA!

We have arrived safe and sound and are ready to get this World Championship underway!!
Here is a quick introduction of Team Canada:

 Top row from left to right: Braden Calvert (Fourth, Skip), Kyle Kurz (Third, Vice-Skip), Lucas Van, Den Bosch (Second), Brendan Wilson (Lead), Colton Lott (Alternate), Tom Clasper (coach)

Bottom row from left to right: Kelsey Rocque (Fourth, Skip), Danielle Schmeimann (Third, Vice-Skip), Holly Jamieson (Second), Jessica Iles (Lead), Kristen Streifel (Alternate), Amanda Coderre

Embarking For Estonia

Today begins the journey of a lifetime, the journey that every curler dreams about. The feeling is surreal and the excitement is building as we begin to count down the days until our first game in Tallin, Estonia. The junior national teams are off to the World Championships, and this time I’m going with them.

First of all, I just have to say how honoured I am to have been asked by Team Alberta (skip Kelsey Rocque, third Danielle Schmiemann, second Holly Jamieson, lead Jessica Iles and coach Amanda-Dawn Coderre) to join them as their fifth player for this incredible experience.

I have had the pleasure of competing against all of these ladies at past international and national competitions over the years, but now to be joining their team and going to world’s is indescribable! As the saying goes: if you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em, right?

I have always admired the way this team handles themselves both on and off the ice. Each girl is poised and determined, and each brings a unique dynamic to the team. They are the definition of hard-working athletes and role models. The team has put in countless hours at the gym and practicing on the ice, all while balancing their school work at the University of Alberta. It is not always easy being a student-athlete, but with a positive mindset and good time-management skills, this team of young ladies has proved that it is definitely possible.

This past weekend has been full of practicing, team bonding, and receiving our Canada gear, all in final preparation for the week ahead. We were invited to appear on CTV’s live morning show, and that same evening, the Saville Community Sports Centre hosted a send-off celebration party. If there is one thing I’ve learned already, it is that there is never a dull moment being part of the prestigious ‘red and white’ club!

Our goals for the next couple of days consist of surviving the 15-plus hours of travelling, adjusting to the nine-hour time change and taking some time to sight-see and explore our surroundings before the games begin. The 10-game round robin will begin on Saturday with some stiff competition. There is no doubt that if the girls play like they did at nationals, we are in for a very exciting week A live webcast will be featuring our first two games against Teams USA and Sweden. Make sure to tune in and help cheer the team on!

You can be sure that this team will play every game to their fullest potential, put it all on the line, and come off the ice each game with no regrets, knowing that we gave it our best effort. After all, the only way to predict the future is to create it.

Next stop: Estonia!