Sandra Schmirler Foundation - About the Foundation

About the Foundation

Sandra Schmirler

Sometimes in sports, athletes are put up on a pedestal because of greatness: the baseball player who can hit, catch, run or pitch with stunning grace; the hockey player who can skate with electrifying ease; the basketball player who can leap with mystifying ability; the football player who can move with endless energy.

However, beyond their contributions as athletes, it is their contributions as people that make these individuals great.

When we think of Sandra Marie Schmirler, we are impressed not only with what she did in her pursuit of athletic excellence and how she defined herself as a winner, but what she contributed to others beyond just winning world championships and gold medals. Sandra Schmirler helped us understand that life is precious and we must appreciate it every day because it can be taken away in an instant. While Sandra only lived to the age of 36, she understood that we must place value on more than just winning and losing; we must prioritize the very simple things that are near and dear to us all, in particular family and friends.

Sandra loved her family - her husband Shannon, her daughters Sara and Jenna, her mother Shirley, her sisters Beverly and Carol, her uncles and aunts and nieces and nephews -- and her many friends, not the least of whom were her teammates and soul mates - Jan Betker, Joan McCusker and Marcia Gudereit. Together, Sandra, Jan, Joan and Marcia meshed together as the greatest team in the history of women's curling, but it was Sandra, more than the others, who was in the spotlight, and she used that spectrum wisely and carefully. Sandra came from a small town in Saskatchewan, called Biggar and, as she escalated to greatness, highlighted by skipping her team to the first-ever gold medal in the Olympics, Sandra maintained her focus, never forgetting who she was and from where she had come. Moreover, she considered her greatest accomplishment giving birth to two lovely and healthy girls. Tragically, as we all know, she never had a chance to spend as much time as she wanted with them or her husband, whom she loved dearly.

When our generation thinks of Sandra Schmirler, we recall that joyous moment she celebrated athletic magnificence with her teammates in Nagano, Japan on that historic day in February, 1998. But, we also recall the many deeds and words that truly made this woman a hero. She touched people by not only her desire to spend time signing autographs or speaking to her legion of fans -- some of whom were touched by something as simple as her precious smile, others who enjoyed her witty remarks -- but also helping them understand what matters most in life.

To Sandra, it was all about setting your priorities straight and putting things in the proper perspective. Despite all of her athletic greatness, Sandra realized that having the precious moments to spend with her family and her friends is the greatest gift of all. Greatness is truly thrust upon few and some find it a burden to accept that gift and the responsibility that goes along with it. Sandra did not have that problem. Sandra reached out to her country in sickness and in health and made us understand what really matters in life. While we mourn her passing, we celebrate the moments we had with her and the legacy she left behind as a true hero.

The Foundation wishes to acknowledge Perry Lefko, author of Sandra Schmirler - The Queen of Curling, for his contribution of Sandra's story shared above.

Board of Directors

Jody Meli: Chair; Jody lives in Lethbridge, Alberta and is the Corporate and Community Relations Manager for the City of Lethbridge. Jody has extensive experience in public service with a focus on strategic planning, communication, leadership and facilitation. Jody has always been involved in her community and has has served on a variety of Boards, including chairing both the 2007 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2012 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship.

Theresa Breen: Vice Chair; Theresa is the Senior Regional Manager for TD Waterhouse Financial Planning in Atlantic Canada and has over 22 years of experience in the banking and investment industry. A competitive curler, Theresa played in four Scotties Tournament of Hearts from 1993-2000 representing Ontario and in the 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. During this time, Theresa and her teammates had many great games against Team Schmirler. Theresa and her spouse Barry, along with their dog Sweeper, live in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

Shannon England: Director; Shannon is Sandra's husband. When not acting as the family representative on the Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, Shannon is busy raising his two daughters, Sara and Jenna, with the help of Sandra's mother, Shirley. Shannon is the Assistant Director of Customer Applications in the Department of Information Services at the University of Regina. In his spare time, Shannon curls competitively and plays golf.

Chris Atchison: Director; Chief Operating Officer for ASPECT - BC's Association of Community Based Trainers. Chris has an extensive background in contract management, communication, leadership and facilitation. Chris is responsible for securing project funding, negotiating contracts and the procurement of opportunities for the membership. He has assisted the financial sustainability of his field by successfully managing more than 35 million dollars worth of training and administrative funding to the membership of ASPECT. Chris is a competitive curler and was a member of Team BC at the 2001 and 2007 Tim Hortons Brier. He was Vice Chair of the 2005 Ford Men's World Curling Championship and Chair of the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Bernadette McIntyre: Director; Bernadette resides in Regina, Saskatchewan and is the CEO of Wascana Centre Authority, one of the largest urban parks in North America. She is currently a member of the Canadian Curling Association Board of Governors, an active curler and community volunteer who has chaired various Provincial and National events, including the Brier, the Scotties and the Roar of the Rings. Bernadette has served on various corporate boards and committees in Saskatchewan.She holds a degree in Business Administration and one in Economics. She was a friend of Sandra's and knows the family and team well. Bernadette is married to Rich and they have two children, Lisa and Shawn.

Dave Clark: Director; David Clark is the Executive Vice President Corporate Services and CFO of Veridian Corporation. Dave has served as a governor on the Board of the Ontario Society of Management Accountants, Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee of CMA Ontario, President of the Clarington Board of Trade, Chair of the Electricity Distributors Association Finance and Corporate Issues Council and a volunteer with the Bowmanville Memorial Hospital Foundation. David and his wife Ginny have three children and live in Peterborough, Ontario.

Cheryl Bernard

Director

Cheryl Bernard is best known for her long list of curling accomplishments and awards. However, she is also an accomplished business woman, starting and later selling her own successful general insurance brokerage in Calgary and co-authoring two books.

Cheryl and her teammates won the silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Two months after the Olympics, Cheryl was nominated by her peers as the 2010 Most Valuable Player in Women's Curling and named Female Athlete of the Year in 2010 by the Calgary Booster Club. In 2006 she received the Ray Kingsmith Award for outstanding achievement in sport and community.

Cheryl has volunteered on a variety of non-profit and corporate boards and has done promotions for the Alberta Children's Hospital. She is currently a keynote motivational speaker for schools, clubs and corporations sharing the lessons learned from sport and life. Cheryl also attends adult and junior curling clinics in Canada and the US and continues to compete in the game she loves so much...curling.

Brad Sylvester: Director; Brad is District Manager, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, with a national consumer packaged goods company. He is on the Board of Directors of Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan, a provincial crown corporation. Brad is very active in his community. He is past Chair of the Optimist Club of Saskatoon and the Municipal Planning Commission and was a Director of the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship. He currently Chairs the Canada Day Committee for Saskatoon and is a member of the Regional Planning Commission. He was recognized for his contributions to his community with the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005 and the Toyota Never Quits Award in 2006. Brad is married and has two adult children.

Peter Inch: Director; Peter is the Southwestern Ontario Operations Manager with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and has spent over 38 years in the HVAC industry. He's an avid curler and has been actively involved in organizing and bringing curling events to the London and St. Thomas area. His most recent events include being Chair of both the 2006 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier. In 2011, Peter was named the City of London's "Sportsperson of the Year" for his on-going involvement in the local sports community. A single Dad with 2 children, Peter currently lives in London, Ontario with his Great Pyrenees mountain dog, Flurie.

Advisory Board

Robin Wilson: Robin is a two-time Canadian Women's Curling Champion who is credited with helping to build the Scotties Tournament of Hearts into the premier women's sporting event in Canada. She is a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame as a curler and builder. Robin is an active volunteer serving on a variety of Boards in the fields of education, health, the arts, and the environment. She is currently Chair of Canada Place Corporation. Robin is a partner in Whitewater Communications, a marketing and communications company, with clients across Canada. She lives in North Vancouver with husband Al, a CFL Hall of Famer. They have three adult children.

Greg Stremlaw: Greg is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association, one of the founding members of the Foundation. Prior to becoming CEO at the CCA, Greg was the CEO at an alpine resort in Southern Ontario and was the Director of Sport in Canada at the Olympic Association in Calgary, Alberta. Greg has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Ontario, an M.B.A. from the University of Maine, and an M.S. Ed. in Sport Management from the University of Miami. Greg resides in Ottawa with his wife Wendy and their two children, Kristin and Michael.

Honourary Ambassadors

Jan Betker: Jan was a member of Sandra Schmirler's three-time World Championship team (1993, 1994 and 1997) and Olympic Gold Medal team. This much decorated team has been inducted into the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame, the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. Jan was born and raised in Saskatchewan and presently resides in Regina with her husband Frank and their two boys, Steven and Adam.

Joan McCusker: Joan McCusker has won numerous awards as a member of the Sandra Schmirler Curling Team, including three Canadian and World Women's Curling Championships ('93, '94, '97) and an Olympic Gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Games. Joan and her six brothers and sisters grew up on the family farm around Saltcoats, Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1987 with a Bachelor of Education. She was an elementary school teacher until 1998 when she decided to focus her time and energy on being a mom, a curler, a CBC Curling Analyst, a high performance consultant and motivational speaker. Joan and her husband, Brian live in Regina with their three children, Rory, Christina and Shae.

Marcia Gudereit: Marcia was a member of Sandra Schmirler's three-time World Championship team (1993, 1994 and 1997) and Olympic Gold Medal team. Marcia was born and raised in Saskatchewan and presently resides in Regina with her husband Kerry and their two boys, Colin and Jared. Marcia is employed with Co-operators Life Insurance Company as a Senior Systems Analyst.

Honourary Directors

An Honourary Director is a lifetime appointment in recognition for outstanding contribution to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation through the initiation and implementation of new strategies and events that have significantly increased the public profile of the Foundation. The first two Honourary Directors are Anne Merklinger and Robin Wilson who were instrumental in the creation and success of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.

Ann Merklinger: Born in London, Ontario in 1958, Anne Merklinger has had an impressive career in high-performance sport for over four decades as both an athlete and leader. Merklinger was a member of Canada's national swim team from 1977-81 earning a silver medal at the 1979 World University Games in the 200-metre breaststroke. Following her stint in the pool, Merklinger focused her athletic career on the curling rink, consistently ranking as one of Canada's most distinguished women's curlers. A four-time winner of the Ontario Women's Curling Championships, Merklinger led her team to two Scotties Tournament of Hearts finals. Merklinger served as President of Sandra Schmirler Foundation from 2001 to 2004. Turning to administration, Merklinger began twenty years of management with national sport organizations including CanoeKayak Canada, the Commission for Inclusion of Athletes with a Disability and the Canadian Federation of Sport Organizations for the Disabled. Merklinger is also on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada. In 2009, she was named Director of Summer Sport for Own the Podium, the world-leading program focused on helping Canadian athletes win more Olympic and Paralympic medals.

Robin Wilson

Robin Wilson lives and works in North Vancouver. She is a partner in Whitewater Communications and President of Robin Wilson & Associates, a consulting company focused on the development of strategic special events, sponsorships and partnerships.

Wilson brought the title sponsor, Scott Paper Limited to the then unsponsored Canadian Women's Curling Championship in 1981. She is widely credited with building the event into the premier women's sporting event in Canada during her 29-year involvement.

A competitive curler herself, Robin played second on the Lindsay Sparkes team that captured the Canadian Women's Curling title in 1976 and 1979 as well as the bronze medal at the first Women's World Championship in Perth, Scotland in 1979.

A number of Provincial Curling Associations including Curl BC, and the Alberta and Saskatchewan Curling Associations have recognized Wilson. She received the Award of Achievement from the Canadian Curling Association in 1995 and the Paul McLean Award in 2010 presented by the Canadian Curling Reporters and TSN for outstanding contributions to sport media. Robin has been inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame as both a team member and builder.

Robin has an extensive history in community involvement. She is currently Chair of Canada Place Corporation. She is Past Chair and a current Director with The Nature Trust of BC and a member of the Board of Directors for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Business Administration at Capilano University and a member of the Advisory Board for the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.

Robin also served as President of Ronald McDonald House BC and was a Board member with the National Maritime Centre for the Pacific and the Arctic. She was Chair of the Capilano University Board of Governors where she was recently presented with the President's Award recognizing the contributions of 40 outstanding individuals and corporations in the 40-year history of the institution.

Lindsay Sparkes: Lindsay is a three-time Canadian Champion, World Champion and an Olympic Gold Medalist (Calgary 1988). She has been inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and the BC Sports Hall of Fame. From 1992 to 2003 she served as National Coach/Team Leader for the women's curling teams who competed internationally. In this capacity she had the privilege of working with and becoming friends with the Sandra Schmirler team. Lindsay, now retired, was a teacher in North Vancouver for over thirty years. She resides in Courtenay, BC, with her partner Duncan and their dog, Spree. Lindsay enjoys golf, dance, gardening, curling and dog training.