Sandra Schmirler
Encyclopedia
- For the Minnesota politician, see Sandra Peterson (politician)Sandra Peterson (politician)Sandra E. Peterson is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 45A, which includes all or portions of the cities of New Hope, Plymouth and Crystal in western Hennepin County, which is part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
.
Sandra Marie Schmirler, SOM
Saskatchewan Order of Merit
The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(June 11, 1963 – March 3, 2000), was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
curler
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, who captured three Canadian Curling Championships (Scott Tournament of Hearts) and three World Curling Championships. Schmirler skipped her Canadian team to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, the first year curling was a medal sport
Curling at the Winter Olympics
Curling was included in the program of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix. The results of that competition were not considered official by the International Olympic Committee until 2006. Curling was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Games, and then again after a lengthy absence...
. At tournaments where she was not competing, Schmirler sometimes worked as a commentator for CBC Sports
CBC Sports
CBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for English-language sports broadcasting. The CBC's sports programming primarily airs on CBC Television, with some additional broadcasts on bold, CBC.ca, and occasionally CBC Radio One...
, who popularized her nickname "Schmirler the Curler" and claimed she was the only person who had a name that rhymed with the sport she played. She died in 2000 at 36 of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Curling career
While attending school in BiggarBiggar, Saskatchewan
Biggar is a town in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located on Highway #14, west of Saskatoon, the province’s most populous city. Biggar has become well known for its unusual town slogan, an Olympic athlete, and a world-record deer...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Schmirler started curling in Grade 7 as part of the school's physical education program. She grew up an athlete, playing volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. She was also an avid speed swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. She continued to curl on the local scene, participating in the Bangor ladies' league in Grade 9. Playing as third on her high school team, she won a provincial championship in Grade 12, when her team went undefeated throughout the season. She continued to curl after graduating high school and attending the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
. While in university, Schmirler made her first appearance in Saskatchewan's provincial playdowns in 1983. After graduating university, Schmirler moved to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
to take a job at the North West Leisure Center. She continued to curl, and was given the nickname "Schmirler the Curler" by a supervisor at the facility. In 1987, as a member of Kathy Fahlman's rink, Schmirler won her first provincial championship.
Prior to the 1988-1989 curling season, Schmirler and Jan Betker
Jan Betker
Janice "Jan" Betker is a Canadian curler. Betker is best known for playing third on the Sandra Schmirler rink that won three world championships and an Olympic gold medal in the 1990s...
found themselves curling with different teammates, attempting to put together a stable squad. Entering the 1990-1991 curling season, Schmirler decided to skip
Skip (curling)
The skip, in conjunction with the team, determines strategy. Based on the strategy, the skip holds the broom indicating where the player throwing must aim . When it is the skip's turn to throw, the vice-skip holds the broom...
, with Betker playing third. They recruited Joan (Inglis) McCusker
Joan McCusker
Joan McCusker , grew up in Saltcoats. She is a Canadian curler who played second on the team of Sandra Schmirler at the provincial, national and international level. As part of the Schmirler rink, McCusker won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics...
to play second, who recommended Marcia Gudereit
Marcia Gudereit
Marcia Gudereit is a Canadian curler.Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, she was part of Team Schmirler, the women's curling team that won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics. This team is the only 3-time winner of the World Curling Championship...
as a lead. This rink won provincials in their first year together, finishing in fourth place at the Scott Tournament of Hearts. In 1993, the Schmirler rink again won the provincial title to move on to the Scott again. Her rink defeated Maureen Bonar
Maureen Bonar
Maureen Bonar is a Canadian curler.Bonar is a four time provincial champion- twice as a skip.After having won the 1982 provincial junior championships as skip, Bonar joined up with Patti Vande as her lead and won the 1983 provincial championships earning them the right to represent Manitoba at the...
in the finals. It was the first national women's curling championship for Saskatchewan since Marj Mitchell
Marj Mitchell
Marjorie Mitchell was a Canadian curler and World Champion. She was skip for the winning team at the 1980 World Curling Championships. Mitchell died of cancer in 1983. The sportsmanship award at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is called the Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award in her...
in 1980. The rink moved on and defeated Janet Clews-Strayer from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the final game of the World Championships
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
that year. The next season, her rink repeated both of these achievements. At the time, no other Canadian rink (men or women) had won consecutive world championships. In 1997, Schmirler and her rink won the Canadian and World Championships for a third time. After each of these three seasons, her rink was named 'Team of the Year' by Sask Sport.
In the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, curling would be a medal sport for the first time. To select Canada's representative, Olympic trials
1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
The 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held Nov. 22-30, 1997 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. They were held to determine the Canadian National men's and women's Teams for the 1998 Winter Olympics.-Final Standings:-Playoffs:-Final Standings:...
were held in November, 1997. The Schmirler rink finished first in the round robin, and played Shannon Kleibrink
Shannon Kleibrink
Shannon Kleibrink is a Canadian curler from Okotoks, Alberta. She and her team of third Amy Nixon, second Glenys Bakker, lead Christine Keshen and alternate Sandra Jenkins represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy...
in the finals. They defeated her rink 9-6 in the final, behind strong shot making from Schmirler and McCusker. Schmirler had to make a difficult in-off to win. The 1998 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Karuizawa, who had hosted the equestrian events at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The 1998 Nagano Olympics marked the first time that curling was held as an official Olympic sport...
were held in Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Schmirler rink was among the favorites for gold, but there was a strong field in the event. The semi-final against Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
's Kirsty Hay was tied after regulation play and went to extra ends, winning on a draw with Schmirler's last rock which she nearly missed. In the finals against Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Canada won the gold medal. After winning the gold medal, Sandra appeared on the front page of the New York Times. After the Olympics, the Schmirler rink was named 'Team of the Year' by the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
. They were also inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame
The Canadian Curling Hall of Fame was established with its first inductees in 1973. It is operated by the Canadian Curling Association in Orleans, Ontario....
in 1999. After returning from the Olympics, Schmirler and her rink had to compete almost immediately in the Scott Tournament of Hearts, as Team Canada. After losing in the semis, Schmirler joined CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
as a colour commentator for the final match.
Family and education
Schmirler was born June 11, 1963 to her parents Shirley and Art. She was born with a club footClub foot
A club foot, or congenital talipes equinovarus , is a congenital deformity involving one foot or both. The affected foot appears rotated internally at the ankle. TEV is classified into 2 groups: Postural TEV or Structural TEV....
which required her to wear a cast for two months. She had two older sisters, Carol and Beverley. She attended high school in Biggar, and moved to Saskatoon to attend university. She started out towards a degree in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, but transferred after her first year to work for a degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. She convocated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1985. After moving to Regina, she met and married Del Peterson on August 1, 1987. They separated in 1992, and divorced a year later. She curled under her married name of Sandra Peterson from 1987 to 1996.
In 1993, teammate Marcia Gudereit introduced Schmirler to Shannon England. On June 22, 1996, they were married. In 1997, Schmirler was pregnant with their first child. When this information was revealed to reporters at the Scott Tournament of Hearts, they jokingly dubbed her "Schmirler the Hurler". On September 15, 1997, their daughter Sara Marion was born. In April 1999, Sandra's father Art Schmirler died from cancer. On June 30, 1999, the couple's second daughter, Jenna Shirley was born.
Illness and death
After Jenna's birth, Sandra experienced many health problems. Testing discovered a cancerous node the size of a fist behind her heart. As her condition worsened, she underwent surgery on September 6, 1999. During surgery, a dead piece of the tumour broke off and released a blood clot into her lung. Her heart stopped beating, and only emergency heart massage kept her alive. Almost a month after being diagnosed with cancer, doctors finally provided a specific diagnosis – metastatic adenocarcinoma, with an unknown primary site. Because of the inability of anyone to pin down where the cancer came from, Sandra referred to it as "the cancer from Mars." In addition to chemotherapyChemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiation, Schmirler explored orthomolecular medicine
Orthomolecular medicine
Orthomolecular medicine is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that seeks to maintain health and prevent or treat diseases by optimizing nutritional intake and/or prescribing supplements...
, through the Canadian Cancer Research Group. This form of alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
involves large doses of vitamins and nutrients.
In 2000, Schmirler worked as colour commentator for CBC during Canada's national junior curling championships. During her illness, Schmirler had been largely removed from the public eye. While in Moncton for the tournament, Schmirler held a press conference to update her situation. In speaking publicly about her ordeal for the first time, Schmirler spared few details about what she had gone through, while also expressing her hope for the future: "There were three goals I had coming out of this thing, and the first one was to look after my family. And the second one...because I curl so much, I've never taken a hot vacation, so I'm going to put my feet in the sand in a warm place. And the last one was to actually be here today, and I thank CBC, I thank Lawrence (Kimber), and Joan Mead."
After returning from Moncton, Schmirler felt physically well, but suffered a setback when a CAT scan revealed spots around her lungs. The decision was made not to proceed with further chemotherapy, but she continued with the orthomolecular therapy. She had been scheduled to work the 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts
2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts
The 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's national curling championship, was played at the CN Centre in Prince George, British Columbia February 19–27. Kelley Law and her British Columbia team won the final defeating Anne Merklinger of Ontario...
, but was unable to do so. She faxed a statement from the hospital, which was read by TSN's
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
Vic Rauter
Vic Rauter
Victor Rauter is a Canadian sportscaster for The Sports Network since 1985. He has covered mostly auto racing, curling and soccer since 1986 as well as hockey, baseball, bowling, squash, volleyball, equestrian and skiing....
. "I'm still fighting hard and I still hope to make it to the Brier
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
, not playing but talking. For Saskatchewan, I was hoping to be in your green shoes (at the Scott). But keep things in perspective. There are other things in life besides curling, which I have found. But I hope to be on the curling trail again next year. And I'll see you all in Sudbury (the next Scott site) in 2001. Your curling friend, Sandra." The optimism in her statement belied the seriousness of her condition. She had been moved to palliative care
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
. She died on the morning of March 3, 2000 at age 36.
Her death caused reactions not just within Saskatchewan and the curling community, but across the country. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
said in a statement: "All Canadians have been touched by the untimely death of Sandra Schmirler. Most of us came to know her through her exploits as a champion curler and as an exemplary sports ambassador for Canada. But what really set her apart was her bright, engaging personality and her incredible zest for life, qualities that were so clearly in evidence as she fought so valiantly against her illness. She will be sorely missed."
TSN offered to broadcast her funeral live, and make the signal available to any other stations at no charge. Her husband, Shannon England, agreed to the broadcast on the condition that the family was not shown during the service. CBC also broadcast the service, marking the first time a Canadian athlete's funeral had been televised live on two networks. The Brier
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
was just getting underway and games in the afternoon draw were delayed to allow curlers and fans to watch the funeral, which was broadcast on screens at the rink. Regina's Agridome and Schmirler's home Caledonian Curling Club also opened to show the funeral. Nine hundred people attended the service at the Regina Funeral Home, thousands watched at satellite locations around the province, and hundreds of thousands watched on television. The funeral was conducted by The Rev. Don Wells, and Sandra was eulogized by Brian McCusker, teammate Joan McCusker's husband.
Awards and honours
In addition to the titles captured by her team on the ice, Schmirler has been recognized in several different ways off the ice as well. In 2000, Schmirler was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of MeritSaskatchewan Order of Merit
The Saskatchewan Order of Merit is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Instituted in 1985 by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Johnson, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Grant Devine, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
, becoming the first posthumous recipient. Along with the other members of her rink, she had been previously awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
. In the fall of 2000, Schmirler was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. At the annual Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the top player in the playoff round is awarded the Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player Award
Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player Award
The Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player Award is awarded to the top player in the playoff round of the annual Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The winner is selected by members of the media, and is awarded at the victory banquet held after the final game of the bonspiel. The top player at the...
.
After her death, the city of Regina honoured Schmirler in several ways. The South East Leisure Centre where she used to work was renamed the "Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre," and the road leading up to the Callie Curling Club, where her team curled out of, was renamed "Sandra Schmirler Way." Schmirler's hometown of Biggar also honoured her memory with the construction of "The Sandra Schmirler Olympic Gold Park."
Scott Paper created the Sandra Schmirler Foundation in February 2001. The foundation raises funds to help care for babies in crisis through direct donations to benefit neonatal care across Canada. In the charity's first four years of existence donations were made to the Children's Miracle Network, Canadian Cystic Fybrosis Foundation and Canadian Ronald McDonald Houses. After altering the charity's mission to focus on neonatal care, donations have been made directly to hospitals in Halifax, Regina, London, Lethbridge, Hamilton and Victoria.
On January 7, 2009, Sandra was named the winner of the 2009 World Curling Freytag Award. The award, named after American Elmer Freytag, who founded the World Curling Federation, honours curlers for championship play, sportsmanship, character and extraordinary achievement. Her husband and daughters accepted the award on her behalf at the 2009 Men's World Curling Championships.