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North Battleford curler excited for ‘thrill of a lifetime’ at Brier

Feb 6, 2018 | 11:00 AM

It will be a phone call Sydney Winterholt will never forget; and for good reason.

The grade 10 student from John Paul II Colligate was one of just 64 junior curlers from across the province selected to be part of SaskEnergy Future Stars. Because of that selection, Winterholt will be paired up with teams at the Tim Horton’s Brier at Regina’s Brandt Centre at Evraz Place from Mar. 3 to 11.

Winterholt said when she received the invitation last month, she couldn’t contain her emotion.

“I was so excited when I got the call inviting me to be a part of the Future Stars,” Winterholt said. “I started crying and I called my mom and she couldn’t understand anything I was saying.”

The SaskEnergy Future Stars competition was open to all Saskatchewan junior curlers between the ages of 12 and 16 and provides young curlers with first-hand experience of what it takes to reach the highest level of curling.

“It’s exciting thinking I’ll be on the same ice surface with professional curlers like Kevin Koe, “she added. “I’m hoping to see Brad Jacobs too, he’s my favourite, but first he needs to win the Ontario provincials.”

Winterholt, who is second stone on her competitive team, fell in love with the sport while watching members of her family in particular her sister Victoria curl.

“I’ve always looked up to my sister and I remember watching her curl and telling my dad that I wanted to curl too,” Sydney said. “So he enrolled me in curling and it’s been so much fun.”

While it is going to be a fun-filled event, Winterholt knows that there will be some valuable lessons taken away from this experience.

“Just to see how professional curlers conduct themselves and prepare for big games is going to be exciting,” she added. “It’s going to be a thrill of a lifetime.”

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @RJWtheReporter