SCHMIRLER CURLING TEAM

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SCHMIRLER CURLING TEAM

• The Story Of Their Lives

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Marcia Gudereit
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Her Younger Days

• She was born on September 8, 1965
• In her mothers hometown of Moose Jaw
• Lived her first three years in her dads hometown
  of Avonlea

• Later moved to Regina, then to Hudson Bay
• She has an older brother and a younger sister

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Employment

• She was always involved in many sports
• Figure skating, volleyball, basketball, and
  badminton

• She is now tied down with her job as a systems
  analyst with Co-Operators Life Insurance

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Curling History

• When she was nine years old-enrolled in Cordwood
  Bonspiel
• First experience on curling ice
• She won the bonspiel

• Marcia knew from that day she was fit for the
  game
• The tradition just carried on from her parents

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Curling History

• 10-curling in Clemenceau(a small hamlet 13 miles
  from Hudson Bay)

• She was an outgoing kid who tried to get
  involved in as much as she could, she was even a
  bit of a tomboy

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More Curling History

• Made the curling teams all three years in high
  school
• Made the curling team at the Saskatchewan
  Technical Institute

• Took a couple years off two settle down with her
  work
• 1990- took the opportunity to curl competitively
  with Cathy Trowell and Joan Inglis

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Met Sandra

• 1991-joined Sandra and Jan
• Sandra phoned Joan and asked if she wanted to
  curl, then Joan requested Marcia as a lead

• Marcia said it was really intimidating meeting
  teams from other countries.

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Accomplishments

• Always at the top of the percentages in the
  competitive bonspiel
• Marcia is still the only lead to win the playoff
  MVP award from the Scott Tournament of Hearts

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Joan McCusker
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As A Child

• Born and raised in Saltcoats
• Not a very active child, very seldom went
  outside, and hardly ever wanted to do anything in
  phys ed

• Went to high school at YRHS
• Made a curling team every year she was there
• Mixed, then girls for two years

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What She Does

• Got a teaching in Raymore, but then felt she had
  to upgrade and move to Regina with her sister
• Teached up until 1998, now she is a Curling
  Commentator for CBC, and a motivational speaker

• Came from a family of six, plus one foster
  brother
• She got a long with her sister Karen really well
• Joan and Karen were the only two in the family to
  curl with their parents

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Curling History

• Started when she was twelve in Tonkin
• Joan and Karen were mainly taught sportsmanship,
  accuracy, and a real affection for the game

• Made a curling team every year at the YRHS
• Story about grade ten
• Grade 12 was Joans toughest year
• Started to show poor sportsmanship

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More Curling History

• 1990-Joan and Marcia started curling together
  along with Joans sister
• Later in 1990 Cathy wanted to start a team of her
  own for bonspiels, but Sandra called her instead

• Cathy said yes, but later found out she was
  pregnant and told Joan to step in for her
• 1991-Went with Sandra

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Supporters

• Lots of support form her family,and her four
  grandparents
• The Inglises were very involved in curling

• In one weekend everyone was gone except for
  Hudson and Joyce

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Famous Words

• One of Joans largest quotes was in an interview
  I did with her about meeting other teams from
  different countries

• She said It was very exciting to play against
  world champions like Dordi Nordby, Elisabet
  Gustafson, and Andrea Schopp, but the one thing
  that embarrassed us was that we could only speak
  one language.

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Interview

• Most of the teams would be able to speak two
  different languages and be able to switch to
  English.

• Joan also said it was a really intimidating
  experience

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Joan McCusker

• Joan was honored in June of 1998 by her hometown
  of Saltcoats who declared a Joan McCusker day.

• They unveiled a large signin her name and had a
  community dance.
• They had to turn down 300 people because the
  place was packed

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Jan Betker
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When She Was Young

• She was born in Regina
• The youngest of four children
• She had to learn to stand up on her own and she
  would fight back if the situation called for it

• Although there were four of them, they always
  stuck together as a team
• You would never see one of then off by them
  selves
• It was always a group activity

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Curling History

• Jan was 12 years old when her parents enrolled
  her in a curling program in Regina
• She hated every minute of it

• The first couple of times she just stood there
  shivering in the cold
• She wasnt overly impressed with this family
  decision, but once she found out she could
  compete with the other kids, she was like a duck
  taking to water

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More Curling History

• Jans competitive streak was noticed right from
  the beginning
• She was very active when she was young

• Jan continued her curling after high school and
  joined the Callie Club in Regina
• This is where she met Sandra and Kathy Fahlman

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Met Sandra

• In the 1986-1987 season the four from the Callie
  Club won provincials and were going to their
  first ever Scott

• The made it to Lethbridge but never made it to
  the playoffs

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Jan And Sandra

• Sandra and Jan have not only been friends, but
  have also been teammates from the very beginning
  in 1986 all the way until the death of Sandra in
  2000

• When Jan was asked what it was like meeting other
  teams from different countries she said Imagine
  playing when all the other teams are speaking a
  different language. They all ask for the sweep
  in different ways, but yet you are all playing
  the same game.

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Famous Words

• There are two quotes that meant a lot to Jan
• The first one was said by Sandra Jans got no
  quit in her, shell fight to the bitter end and
  never give up. She always feels the team has a
  chance,that its never too late to mount a come
  back unless there are no more rocks to throw.

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More Famous Words

• The second was said by her brother Maurice
  Richard, or Gordie Howe would get the big goal in
  the big game, well my sister is like that in
  curling. Almost without fail, if the game is ion
  the line and the team needs a crucial shot she
  rarely, if ever, misses.

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Sandra Schmirler
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Her Younger Days

• She was born in Biggar in 1963
• Youngest of three daughters to Art and Shirley
  Schmirler

• She attended Biggar Composite School and excelled
  both academically and athletically

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While In School

• She was very active
• She participated in swimming volleyball,
  fastball, badminton, track, and curling
• Sandra won many Saskatchewan Summer Games awards
  for her swimming but chose curling as her favorite

• At her graduation she won the awards for best
  overall student, spirit of youth award, and the
  sports award
• Sandra went on to the U of S and curled with
  Carol Davis for two years there.

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Her Love Of Curling

• Sandras love of curling began at the age of 12
  in the Biggar curling club
• Curling soon emerged as her favorite sport

• While in high school she made the curling teams
  all three years, and they were provincial champs
  two years in a row
• After graduating she met up with Kathy Fahlman
  and Jan Betker at the Callie Club in Regina

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Curling History

• 1987 was her highlight year because they made it
  to the Scotts, but never made the playoffs
• After a disappointing performance at the 1990
  provincials she decided to form her own team

• In addition to Jan, she recruited Joan and Marcia
  as lead and second
• This team went on to win 6 provincial titles,
  three Canadian titles, three World titles, and
  one Olympic gold medal

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Sandras Focus

• No other team composed of the same four members
  had ever been able to capture two consecutive
  world titles.

• Sandra always had one special routine she
  followed Right toe in the hack, bend down,
  clean the rock, stand up, adjust the glasses and
  pants, with a push and a pull stare at the
  target, bend down and throw the rock. Sandra
  said this really works its called focus

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Accomplishments

• The team went on to win at the Olympic curling
  trials, and won the right to represent Canada at
  the first ever womens Olympic curling

• The team went through round robin with a 6 and 1
  record and progressed on to win the gold
• After that they were named the 1998 team of the
  year and were inducted into the sports Hall Of
  Fame.

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A Very Tragic Time

• Sandras curling career was cut short in 1999
• She was diagnosed with cancer in her esophagus
• The cancer later spread to her stomach and
  eventually took her life

• Sandra often referred to her cancer as the
  Cancer from Mars because no doctors could
  properly diagnose it
• After undergoing many tests and surgeries she
  started to feel better

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Sandras Death

• Sandra held a news conference to tell her fans
  exactly what was going on
• Sandra made her last public appearance at the
  Canadian Junior Championships only 3 weeks before
  her death

• The cancer had spread a lot and had taken over
  her body, Sandra died peacefully in a hospital on
  March 3, 2000

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Supporters

• Other than her parents Jan was Sandras main
  supporter in life

• Sandra always cherished their friendship and said
  she never got the chance to properly thank Jan
  for that

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Tribute

• Sandra charmed fans with her attitude and
  importance of her family and her friends
• Many said she talked as much about curling as she
  did her family

• She loved the sport of curling and all of her
  fans
• TRIBUTE

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The Team
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The Team

• Schmirler, Betker, McCusker, and Gudereit have
  won the 1993, 1994, and 1997 Canadian and World
  Championships, and the 1998 Olympic Gold Medal

• Sandra said in an interview I dont think we
  have anything to prove to the people of Canada
  that we are one of the greatest teams that has
  ever played this game

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The Team

• The team has been to the Scotts six time in their
  eight years together,and has found that a huge
  accomplishment in their lives.

• Sandra, Jan, Joan, and Marcia often cited their
  friendship as a major reason to their success.
• They were and still are a huge inspiration for
  many junior teams

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THE END