Englot stoked heading into Olympic trials
Regina curler says chance to represent Canada ‘has been a long time coming’
In 2016, Regina’s Michelle Englot made sweeping changes to her curling career.
The seven-time Saskatchewan women’s curling champion left the comfort of her home province to skip a Winnipeg-based women’s team.
Englot joined forces with Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson and Raunora Westcott, who were looking for an experienced skip after Kristy McDonald stepped away from the game due to pregnancy.
The new team was formed with the goal of qualifying for the Canadian Olympic team curling trials, and ultimately representing Canada in women’s curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Having accomplished the first half of its goal, the Englot team opens play Saturday in Ottawa at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.
“I’m nervous, but I’m more excited to get this going because it has been a long time coming,’’ Englot said before making the trip to Ottawa.
“This season has blown by and suddenly it’s here. At this point, we’re either ready or we’re not.’’
Englot has adopted a relaxed approach toward dealing with the pressure of the trials, which run through Dec. 10.
The opportunity to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in February is the reason why the trials are different than any other national curling competition.
“(The trials) aren’t like the Scotties at all and a lot of people don’t realize that,’’ said Englot, who finished second at the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
“It’s definitely the deepest field you’ll find at any event because there is a lot on the line with it only coming around once every four years. It’s an awesome accomplishment to make it there. It would be even better to come out on top.’’
Englot, 53, heads to Ottawa as the oldest skip in the women’s field.
“Most of the curlers are young enough to be my daughters,’’ she said with a chuckle.
“Really, (age) doesn’t affect me and I don’t see myself as being that much older than any of the other competitors. I’m way more prepared to curl now than I was when I was younger. My age doesn’t impact my game at all because I work harder off the ice than I ever did.’’
Englot counts on her experience more than conditioning.
“Curling isn’t an age game,’’ she said. “Maybe when you’re sweeping for three games on a weekend tournament that would come into play. Being a skip, it doesn’t come into play.’’
The other skips in the nine-team women’s field are Winnipeg ’s Jennifer Jones (gold medallist in women’s curling at the 2014 Winter Olympics), Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (the reigning Canadian and women’s world champion), Calgary’s Chelsea Carey, Toronto’s Allison Flaxey, Lethbridge’s Casey Scheidegger, Edmonton’s Val Sweeting, Thunder Bay’s Krista McCarville and Julie Tippin of Woodstock. Ont.
Despite losing 8-6 to Homan in an extra end in the final of the 2017 Canadian women’s championship, Englot feels her team is an underdog at the trials.
She is fine with that label, considering her entire team juggles curling and full-time jobs.
“We’ll try to use that to our advantage, because I don’t think the focus is going to be on us,’’ said Englot, whose alternate for the trials is 2016 Saskatchewan women’s champion Jolene Campbell.
“Ultimately, we have nothing to lose because if we win it’s like a big bonus. There are a lot of teams that have pressure on themselves, especially those that only curl for a living. We’ll just go in there and try to play relaxed and loose.’’
Another aspect of the trials is what happens if Englot’s team does win.
Organizing their schedules to accommodate the Winter Olympics is a challenge with which Englot & Co. would have to deal.
“It’s something that you have to be prepared for,’’ Englot said.
“If you look at the commitment the Olympics require, you have to take a leave of absence from work and make it your full-time thing for January and February, for sure. I don’t know if you can ever visualize being there until you’re actually there. It’s definitely a dream of the team.’’
I’m way more prepared to curl now than I was when I was younger. My age doesn’t impact my game at all.