Courtney focused on latest goal: Olympic gold
When Joanne Courtney first stepped onto the Crestwood Curling Club ice two decades ago as a Little Rock, she was following her brother, Ryan.
Next week, the 28-year-old will be following Team Canada skip Rachel Homan onto the Gangneung Curling Centre ice sheet in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In December, Team Homan ground out an exhilarating 6-5 win in the Roar of the Rings final in Ottawa against Chelsea Carey ’s undefeated squad to earn the opportunity to compete for a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Courtney played soccer, gymnastics and volleyball during school, but it was the balance between individual skill and teamwork that caused curling to slide to the top of her list.
“There is that great balance. On a small team, it is those relationships you build and seeing your growth as a unit,” she said. “Twoand-a-half hour games often come down to one moment. I’m hooked to that adrenalin rush and succeeding under that pressure.”
The Edmonton native, whose curling percentage of 85.2 ranked best among seconds at the Roar of the Rings Olympic trials, made it to four provincial finals as a junior, losing three of them. But in the first of those setbacks at age 15, her triumphant opponent made it all the way to the national final.
“That was my first sense,” she said, realizing a successful career at the elite level could be in the cards.
Courtney decided to pursue a nursing degree partly because the job would allow the flexibility to compete in bonspiels around the world.
She had caught on with skip Valerie Sweeting and earned the last spot at the 2013 Roar of the Rings Olympic qualifiers. The team missed the playoffs, but won Alberta provincials soon afterward to put her name on the map.
Courtney then caught the eye of Team Homan, which added her in 2014.
It has taken off from there — a spot on each podium at the Scotties, a mixed-doubles silver and world championship gold.
This month, she will be tasked with defending Canada’s gold medal from the last Olympics.
“I have been on the ice every single day. Working on fundamentals, breaking down slides, working on tendencies and mastering the craft,” she said.
“I have been in high-pressure situations, and know how to keep myself in check and rest the tension where it needs to be.”