The Season To Remember

People say that things happen for a reason. I didn’t really believe this saying until this past curling season. There were many low points in the beginning, some that almost ended our career, but we managed to turn it all around, with the help of our loving, and very caring parents, and the early morning pick me up’s from Tim Hortons, that made this past curling season, a season that we will never forget.
It all started out with complications at a nearby curling club, where we were going to be curling. When it didn’t work out, my twin sister Amanda, and I, were left without a team, and without any local club to curl at. We both felt as if the game that we worked so hard to become good at, and loved the most, was gone, and that we had no way of getting it back.
After many long talks between my parents, and many sleepless nights hoping that we would be able to curl again, our family decided that we would travel, every Sunday morning to a very friendly and competitive club that is 45 minutes away from our home. This meant very early mornings in the dead of winter, and yes, a stop at the local Tim Hortons for our pre-practice java.
When we got to the club, teams had already been formed. Although there were not many girls left to structure a bantam team to compete at zone play downs, we found two younger girls who were eager to play. We practiced together for a total of five hours, before we competed in zones. It turns out that we were able to make it to the semi final game, almost advancing to regionals.
We had many successes throughout the rest of the season, competing in more bonspiels and opening a lot of people’s eyes to how well of a team we were, with very little practice. Every town we played in meant we were always glad to stop and support the local Tim Hortons. We are so grateful that a company like Tim Hortons, prides itself in supporting the sport of curling, from the youth, to the Canadian Men’s Championships.
The largest success we had this past season though, is one that all of us will never forget for the rest of our lives. For the past two years, there has been a curling skins game hosted by a casino that is about half an hour away from our homes. As it is held at a casino, people under the age of 19 are not permitted to attend. We really wanted to meet the teams that compete, because they are high class curlers, who have competed at the levels that we hope to one day, compete at ourselves. (Canadian Championships, World Championships) We had the opportunity to meet with four of the best teams in the curling world today. They were able to share with us a lot about curling and some inspiring words that would help us make it through anything.
I feel as if these curlers, and Tim Horton, are very similar.
Tim Horton was a very modest hockey player, who was caring, generous, and considerate to his team, his opponents, and his fans. He was also confident enough with his abilities to perform, but did not boast upon them. I feel that curlers are the same way. They understand that they have the ability to perform to such a high standard, but they do not dwell upon this. To me, these skills make up some of the best athletes that we have in this country, and they are the few of the reasons which make us proud to be Canadian.
Although we have met a few of the top teams in Canada, we have never actually seen them play live. I feel like that would be the biggest opportunity for us, to grow as curlers, and seeing them live, would be the cherry on top of the close to perfect season.
Yes they say that things happen for a reason, and from this past curling season, my twin sister Amanda and I feel that we are living proof of this.
Thanks for letting us share our story Tim Hortons. Without you, our early morning practices, and long weekends at the clubs would not have been as amazing as they were!
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