Hangin' with the best
Nunavut makes first trip to Canadian female championship
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 9, 2014
RANKIN INLET
Being the first female team to represent Nunavut at the Canadian Senior Women's Curling Championship is a memory that will last the four curlers from the Qavik Curling Club in Rankin Inlet a lifetime.
Skip Beverly Ford, from left, Lucy Makkigak, Mary Anawak and Minnie Tatty represented Nunavut at the Canadian Senior Women's Curling Championship in Yellowknife, NWT, this past month. - photo courtesy James MacKenzie |
Nunavut was represented by skip Beverly Ford, third Lucy Makkigak, second Mary Anawak and lead Minnie Tatty.
The Rankin rink was under no delusions going to the championship in Yellowknife, NWT this past month.
Knowing the chances of beating any of the top female curlers in the country were slim, they concentrated on soaking in the experience and having a great time.
And, on that front, they curled 100 per cent.
Ford said the experience was incredible.
She said everyone treated the Rankin curlers like royalty, and they couldn't have asked for anything more.
"We were the only senior ladies rink to enter in all of Nunavut, so we got to go to Yellowknife for the Canadian championship," said Ford.
"I was in my glory there, and I couldn't believe it when we were actually playing Marilyn Bodogh and her team.
"I watched her win the World Curling Championship in 1986 and 1996, and there we were playing against them.
"We had so much fun, and just couldn't believe we were actually there being a part of it all."
Ford said she'll never forget marching into the opening ceremonies to bagpipes playing.
She said it was the experience of a lifetime.
"It was just so cool to be there, and there were so many highlights for us.
"All these great curlers, and they were all so nice to us.
"They were all happy we were there and helped us all the way through the event."
Ford said Canadian Curling Association coach Bill Tschirhart, who was in Rankin this past February to work with both the ladies and the boy's junior curlers, was a big help in Yellowknife.
She said Tschirhart gave them plenty of pointers in Rankin and started coaching them in Yellowknife.
"It was so awesome when they acknowledged us during the opening ceremonies.
"That was so nice of him, to help us like that.
"It was like they all fell in love with us."
Ford said the Nunavut team jackets supplied by the Qavik Curling Club were a big hit in Yellowknife.
She said curling would become a lot more popular if there was a better facility in Rankin.
"These ladies have been curling most of their lives and the ice is so different at an event like that, but I told them if they came to Rankin we'd slaughter them on our ice," said Ford with a mischievous giggle.
"The next one is in Edmonton and we'd love to go, but we're getting up there.
"We're all grandmothers - they couldn't get over me having 19 grandchildren in Yellowknife - and two of us are great-grandmothers.
"I might get to go again and I might not, so, with Marilyn Bodogh always being my idol, I got her whole team to autograph my jacket while I had the chance."
