THE
QUEEN OF HEARTS - FOREVER...
| Sandra Schmirler
was Skip for arguably THE dominant rink in women’s curling during
the 1990s; her crowning achievement was winning the first gold medal for
women’s curling at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Through recognition of her
performances, she also raised the profile of women’s curling at the national
and international levels. |
| She was born
in Biggar, Saskatchewan in 1963, the youngest of three daughters of Art
and Shirley Schmirler. Growing up, and attending Biggar Composite School,
she excelled academically as well as athletically, participating in swimming,
volleyball, fastball, badminton, and track. It was curling, however, which
she played from the age of twelve at the Biggar Curling Club, which emerged
as her favourite sport - she would play on two provincial championship
teams while in high school. |
| Sandra went
on to study physical education at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
During her last two years there, she curled on the Carol Davis rink. After
graduating, she began curling as third with Kathy Fahlman. It was on this
team that she met Jan Betker, who would become a close friend and life-long
curling partner. After a disappointing performance at the 1990 provincial
championships, Sandra decided to form her own team. In addition to Betker
at Third, she recruited Marcia Gudereit and Joan McCusker as Lead and Second
respectively. This team won six provincial championships during the decade,
and three Canadian championships, in 1993, 1994 and 1997. The team would
go on to win the world championship in each of those years, a feat which
at that time was unprecedented. No women’s team composed of the same four
members had ever won more than one world title. |
| The Schmirler
rink followed its performance at the 1997 Worlds with a win at the Canadian
Olympic Curling Trials, earning the right to represent Canada in curling’s
Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. The team proceeded through the
round-robin tournament with a first-place record of 6-1; it went on to
win the gold medal, to the elation of curling fans across the country.
For its accomplishments, the rink was named 1998 Team of the Year by the
Canadian Press. The four women were also inducted into the Canadian Curling
Hall of Fame in March of 1999. |
| |
 |
|
|
| Sandra Schmirler's record in Canadian
& International play: |
|
| 1998 OLYMPICS |
| Nagano, Japan |
|
|
OLYMPIC
GOLD
|
|
MEDALIST
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
8-1 (.889)
|
|
|
|
| 1997 WORLD |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
| Berne,
Switzerland |
|
|
WORLD
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
10-1 (.909)
|
|
|
|
| 1997 SCOTT |
| TOURNAMENT
OF |
| HEARTS |
| Vancouver,
BC |
|
|
CANADIAN
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
11-2 (.846)
|
|
|
|
| 1997 SASKATCHEWAN |
| WOMEN'S PROVINCIAL |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
| Swift Current,
SK |
|
|
SASKATCHEWAN
|
|
WOMEN'S
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
8-1 (.889)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1994 WORLD |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
| Oberstdorf,
Germany |
|
|
WORLD
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
10-1 (.909)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1994 SCOTT |
| TOURNAMENT
OF |
| HEARTS |
| Kitchener,
ON |
|
|
CANADIAN
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
11-1 (.917)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1993 WORLD |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
| Geneva,
Switzerland |
|
|
WORLD
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
9-2 (.818)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1993 SCOTT |
| TOURNAMENT
OF |
| HEARTS |
| Brandon,
MB |
|
|
CANADIAN
WOMEN'S
|
|
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
10-2 (.833)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1993 SASKATCHEWAN |
| WOMEN'S PROVINCIAL |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
|
|
SASKATCHEWAN
|
|
WOMEN'S
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
15-1 (.938)
|
|
|
|
|
| 1992 SASKATCHEWAN |
| MIXED PROVINCIAL |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
|
|
SASKATCHEWAN
|
|
MIXED
CHAMPION
|
|
(THIRD)
|
|
6-5 (.545)
#
|
|
|
#
- Record at CDN Mixed, NOT Provincials.
|
|
Thanks
to Brian McCusker for supplying these stats.
|
|
|
|
| 1991 SASKATCHEWAN |
| WOMEN'S PROVINCIAL |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
|
|
SASKATCHEWAN
|
|
WOMEN'S
CHAMPION
|
|
(SKIP)
|
|
7-5 (.583)
*
|
|
|
*
- Record at STOH, NOT Provincials.
|
|
Thanks
to Jan Betker for supplying these stats.
|
|
|
|
| 1987 SASKATCHEWAN |
| WOMEN'S PROVINCIAL |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS |
|
|
SASKATCHEWAN
|
|
WOMEN'S
CHAMPION
|
|
(THIRD)
|
|
7-5 (.583)
*
|
|
|
*
- Record at STOH, NOT Provincials.
|
|
Thanks
to Jan Betker for supplying these stats.
|
|
|
|
|
| Sandra also
charmed fans with her down-to-earth attitude, and the importance she placed
on family and friends. While at the Olympics she talked as much about her
daughter and husband as she did about her curling performances, expressing
her regret at being separated from them for such a long period of time.
She and the other team members often cited their close friendship as a
major reason for their success. She also maintained close connections with
her hometown curling club; many junior teams there name her as an inspiration
for their own efforts. |
Unfortunately,
Sandra’s curling career was cut short when she was diagnosed with cancer
in the summer of 1999. She made her last public appearance as a commentator
at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships, just three weeks before her
death on March 2, 2000. Tributes to her appeared in newspapers across the
country, from sports writers and public figures alike. Her hometown of
Biggar plans to dedicate a memorial park in her honour. |
-SANDRA
SCHMIRLER: 1963-2000 
-