One year after winning a silver medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Team Bernard made a stop in Airdrie to visit sponsor Airdrie Dodge.
Skip Cheryl Bernard, a Grande Prairie native, has been curling since the age of eight, when she threw her first rock at the North Hill Curling Club in Calgary in 1974.
“They don’t usually start you that young, but I wanted to play so bad because I watched my parents play for years,” said Bernard. “One instructor said if you can get the rock to the other end, we will teach you. So I put both feet in the hack and threw it down the ice.”
In 2005, Bernard linked up with third Susan O’Connor, second Carolyn Darbyshire and lead Cori Morris with the goal of making it to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“We set up the team, and started training and the sports psychology,” said Bernard. “It’s neat to do all that work and achieve that goal.”
Bernard said team members didn’t fully realize they were Olympians until they walked into the stadium during the opening ceremonies.
“We have tried to describe it to people but we say if you were there, then you get it, and if you weren’t, you don’t,” said Bernard. “The crowds in the venues singing O Canada still chokes me up.”
After an excellent tournament, Team Bernard lost a closely contested gold medal matchup to Anette Norberg and her Swedish squad.
“It was emotional,” said Bernard.
“It’s so satisfying to have worked so hard for so many years with such a great group and have it all work out.”
One year later, the team suffered a similar loss in extra ends to Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin in the Scotties Alberta Women’s Championship, Jan. 30, halting the team’s march to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Championship.
“It was tough,” said Bernard. “We had two big events prior to that, which may have impacted that, or not. We are still a little burnt out, we have done a lot of stuff post-Olympics. We all said, ‘no matter what happens, it’s been an amazing year.’”
Longtime friend and sponsor Brad Styner, co-owner of Airdrie Dodge says it’s no secret a lot of people are proud of this group of ladies.
“I have known Cheryl for a lot of years; we both grew up at the Calgary Winter Club, her curling and me playing squash,” said Styner. “I have always had a great respect for her level of dedication. The bottom line is the reason we want these girls to be representing us is they are a class act. They have represented Canada so well.”
Team Bernard will be making several more appearances this season, heading to the Bear Mountain Classic in Victoria and the Player’s Championship to round out their year in Bernard’s hometown of Grande Prairie in April.
