JENKINS TRAGEDY WEIGHS HEAVILY ON HEARTS OF SCOTTIES CURLERS
Aly Jenkins was fiercely competitive, had no filter when it came to saying what was on her mind and was a straight shooter — what you saw was what you got.
She loved her family, her husband Scott — whom she met on a golf course — her beautiful young children and, of course, the game of curling.
She was a good curler, playing lead for the Sherry Anderson team from Saskatoon, and made it to the final of the Saskatchewan women’s championship in 2019.
She likely would have been competing to play in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this season had tragedy not struck on Oct. 20.
While giving birth to her third child, a daughter named Sydney, Jenkins suffered an amniotic fluid embolism and died at age 30.
The horrible turn of events left three children under four years of age without a mother and left Scott to try to raise them on his own. But he was never really on his own.
With family and friends providing immediate help and with a vast outpouring of support from a curling community devastated by the sudden death of one of their own, he had to know he was not alone.
“When that happened it was just completely heartbreaking,” six-time Canadian women’s curling champion Jennifer Jones said Sunday at Mosaic Place, site of the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
“She was just a lovely person and full of life and a love of curling. If there’s anything we can do for that family, just to help them and show that the curling world has this great love and great support, we want to do it. I’ve reached out to them and just let them know, if there’s anything they need now, or 10 years from now, we’ll be there for them.”
The curling community was there with Scott, the Jenkins family, children Brady, Avery and baby Sydney and former teammates Anderson, Nancy Martin and Meaghan Frerichs on Sunday at Mosaic Place.
Aly’s memory was honoured with a song (Over the Rainbow) and a minute of silence observed by the curlers on the ice and the 4,000-plus fans in attendance.
It is safe to say there was not a dry eye in the house.
“It was a pretty amazing moment,” Martin said. “For everyone to take a moment here in Saskatchewan and think about Aly and everything that she meant to her family and our team and to all of the competitors out there — we’re all teammates at the end of the day — was just so touching.”
What happened to Jenkins and her family hit home heavily in the women’s curling community, which is as close-knit as it is competitive. It would not be a stretch to suggest every curler in Canada was touched, if not heartbroken, by the tragedy.
“There’s a lot of moms out there, a lot of moms to be,” Martin said. “They feel for how tragic this is. It could have been anyone, right? I think that’s what makes it so real for everyone.”
Three-time Canadian champion Rachel Homan just had a baby boy, named Ryatt, eight months ago. Her second, Joanne Courtney, had a baby in the summer as well.
Two members of the Saskatchewan team in this event, skipped by Robyn Silvernagle, are expecting.
“It’s anyone who has a kid, knows a kid, knows someone that’s been pregnant,” Courtney said. “Everyone knows someone or has gone through it so the feelings resonate for everyone. We’re just so sad about it.”
Homan and her teammates have decals on their brooms this week with the word “ALY” on them.
“I know it was her goal to be here and I know she would have been, so she’s on our brooms this week and she’s in our hearts when we’re out there,” Homan said.
“It was nice to meet Sydney yesterday and it was awesome and emotional. It’s great to see them here and you feel good that they have so much support for the kids and the family. That’s what you need to get through something like this — not that you can ever get through it — but as much as possible.”
The Jenkins tribute took place, fittingly, on Sandra Schmirler Day. Every year during the Scotties, a telethon is held in support of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, which raises money to support care of premature babies.
Schmirler, a three-time world women’s curling champion and Olympic gold medallist, died of cancer at age 36 in 2000 when her daughters Sara and Jenna
England were both under three years old.
Her memory has long been preserved at the Scotties and it seems the same will go for Jenkins, at the very least among the curlers who competed with and against her.
“It brings people together and really puts a focus on remembering that life is precious and you can’t take anything for granted,” said Dawn Mcewen, who plays lead for Jones and has a young daughter of her own.
“Just be the best person you can be and love your family. Go home and hug your kids.”
Deaths due to complications during childbirth are very rare in Canada these days, but what happened to Jenkins is a stark reminder to many people that medical issues do arise.
“In today’s world, you don’t hear of that happening very often,” Jones said. “It’s just a rare circumstance. I can honestly say, during the two births of my babies, I never once even thought that something could happen to me. To go in and have that happen and to leave these beautiful kids, it’s just a tragedy.”
Anderson, 56, was so overcome with emotion, she could barely speak after the on-ice tribute to Jenkins and her family.
“It’s just tough,” she said, stopping for a few moments to catch her breath.
She then spoke about the support from the curling community, Curling Canada and the Scotties host committee.
“It’s been marvellous,” Anderson said. “People get behind people, especially in Saskatchewan, and especially because of the very tragic way that it happened. I don’t imagine it would make any difference whether we were curlers or hockey players or volleyball players, it would have been the same.
“It’s touching.”
I’ve reached out to them and just let them know, if there’s anything they need now, or 10 years from now, we’ll be there for them.
JENNIFER JONES