Ottawa curler still rockin’ at 90
Audrey Taylor has been a member of the RA Curling Club for over 50 years
Audrey Taylor, who turned 90 on Feb. 14, is skip on her curling team, calling the shots and taking teams into bonspiels.
“It’s hard to believe — I don’t feel 90,” said Taylor, who was given a birthday coffee party at the RA Centre.
Taylor and another curler, Elizabeth Sliter, were recently presented with the 50 Year Recognition Award to celebrate women who have been members of the RA Curling Club for 50 years or more, and who “set the gold standard for sportswomanship, cheerfulness and mentoring.” The inaugural award was presented at the Christmas luncheon to Sliter and Taylor, who have reached 50 and 52 years’ membership, respectively.
While she is still going strong, Taylor admits, “Walking on ice is not easy. But you have rubber on your shoes and you just have to learn how to walk. I’ve fallen many times but I’ve learned to keep all my limbs.”
Born in 1928 in Montreal, Taylor went through the Westmount school system and then took a secretarial course at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University). She worked for the government at the Montreal airport for six years, got married in 1951 to a radio operator for the Department of Transport and moved to Lac-Mégantic, Que., Goose Bay, N.L., and then Ottawa in 1956, where she has lived ever since. She has one daughter in Vancouver and another in Trenton, Ont.
Taylor lives in her own condo apartment in South Keys and still drives and looks after herself.
She said her late husband, Jim, took up curling first, and then she joined in because of the friendship, sociability and the exercise. “It’s a really social sport, and I’ve met some wonderful people at the RA.”
She curled at night for 20 years and then joined the “day ladies.”
Now that her knees are bad, she uses a stick so she doesn’t have to bend down. “An awful lot of people are using it now. It has prolonged my career by 10 years.”
She also plays a lot of bridge. “When I’m not curling, I’m playing bridge. I want to keep the brain active. Keeping active is the main thing,” she says. “Keep your body active and your brain active, and you take it from there.”
When I’m not curling, I’m playing bridge. I want to keep the brain active. Keeping active is the main thing.