Team Gushue

!Story - SIMCOE.COM v3 - Golden memories for Russ Howard

Mike Dodd
Published: Wed, Mar 1st, 2006

Midland’s native son, Russ Howard, was a key component to Brad Gushue’s gold-medal winning team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. - Toronto Star photo

Russ Howard. … Olympic gold medalist. The partying still hasn’t stopped since Midland’s native son won gold on Friday in Torino, Italy, as a member of Canada’s men’s Olympic curling team.

The second with the Brad Gushue rink from Newfoundland, the 50-year-old Howard helped lead the Canadian men’s curling team to a 10-4 victory over Finland in Friday’s gold medal final.

“I’m totally exhausted,” said Barb Howard, Russ’s mother, speaking with The Mirror after watching the final in her Midland home.

A graduate of Midland Secondary School, Russ Howard began sharpening his curling skills at the Midland Curling Club.

Watching the gold medal final with Barb Howard was Paul MacDonald, the man credited with mentoring Russ through his early years in the sport.

Television and newspaper reporters were on hand at the Howard home to record the historic win by Howard and the Canadian team.

“I’m still trying to take it all in. It’s so overwhelming. It’s hard to believe this little country bumpkin has gone that far (in curling),” said Mrs. Howard.

Following the win, Barb Howard was in tears while talking with Russ’s wife Wendy, who was in Italy to watch the historic win, along with their children Stephen and Ashley.

“She (Wendy) hasn’t been able to get near Russ. They are whisking Russ and the team off to do interviews,” said Mrs. Howard.

Ironically, Glenn Howard was in St. John’s, Newfoundland competing in a Grand Slam of Curling event when old brother Russ claimed Olympic gold.

“I’m so happy for Russ. He deserves it,” said Glenn, speaking by phone with The Advance.

Glenn Howard was doing his share of media interviews, as the Newfoundland media was mobbing him to get his reaction to Canada’s first Olympic gold medal win in curling.

“I’ve been doing a whole bunch of media interviews. It’s been a total zoo in St. John’s. It’s turned into one big party town,” said Howard.

Even thousands of miles away in Italy, Russ Howard didn’t forget about his mother.

“Hi mom,” he mouthed into the CBC camera and offered his traditional eye wink and gunslinger hand gesture.

“That (the gun move) is just something he has always done. Early on, when someone made a good shot, he would point the finger and the thumb up. Now it’s caught on with the Newfoundland kids. When he does the wink and the gun, that’s for me,” she said.

Russ dropped in to see his mother two weeks ago, when he made a two-day stopover in Midland-Penetanguishene.

Barb Howard visited Russ in New Brunswick in July, when Howard was asked if he would be interested in joining the Newfoundland team.

“Toby (Olympic curling coach Toby McDonald) asked Russ if he would be interested in mentoring Brad and the rest of the Newfoundland team.”

While nothing is planned yet, Barb Howard hopes her oldest son will come back to Midland and give her a closeup look at his Olympic gold medal.

“What a game,” said Kent Carstairs, who curled with Howard in 1987, when the Penetanguishene Curling Club foursome won the world men’s curling title.

Carstairs teamed with Howard, his brother Glenn and Tim Belcourt in the mid-1980s when the foursome won in Germany.

“The six-ender they had was the difference,” said Carstairs.

Midland Curling Club ice technician Bryan Wilson was over the moon after the last rock was thrown in the eighth end Friday.

“What a great result. I’m so happy for Russ,” said Wilson, speaking via his cellphone.

Wilson first hooked up with Howard in 1984 after first moving to the region. He and Paul MacDonald curled in the same Monday night league with Howard in the years leading up to his 1987 and 1993 world championship wins.

“Those were the days before Russ became the celebrity and curling legend he is now. He was so approachable in those days and is just as approachable now.

“Russ has had such a major impact on the game of curling. He was the architect of so many different rules now being used in curling,” said Wilson.

Howard’s knowledge and skill made him a major asset to any team.

“Russ could go out with anyone on his team and win. Anyone who played with him became a better player,” said Wilson.

Copyright ©1996-2005 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing.

More honours for Olympic gold medal-winning curlers

St. John’s streets to be named after Brad Gushue & Co. Canadian Press
Published: Monday, March 06, 2006

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Olympic curling champion Brad Gushue and his rink are receiving another honour.

The City of St. John’s has decided to name several streets after the Newfoundland rink.

Deputy Mayor Dennis O’Keefe said Monday a road in St. John’s will be renamed Gold Medal Drive.

Several streets branching from the drive will be named after each of the curlers — Gushue, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, as well as their coach Toby MacDonald.

The Gushue rink of St. John’s became the first Olympic champions from Newfoundland when they won the men’s curling gold medal last month at the Turin Games.

© Canadian Press 2006

winnipegsun.com - Curling - Oly grind is all worth it now

By JIM BENDER, STAFF REPORTER

LONDON, Ont. — Glenys Bakker returned to her Calgary home to hug her infant daughter, who had no clue that her mom had just won Olympic bronze in Italy.

“When I got home and she (Sara) saw me, her eyes were like two big saucers,” Bakker recalled here yesterday. “She just kind of looked at me and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve been away too much.’

“That was probably the biggest reason why I wasn’t playing well. I wasn’t completely there. Part of my heart was back home.”

All tolled, Bakker was away from home for about 80 days pursuing an Olympic curling medal for Canada.

“I actually felt like I sacrificed a lot, and to win this actually seemed to make it worthwhile,” said Bakker, second for Shannon Kleibrink, whose entire team was flown into the Scott Tournament of Hearts to be recognized by the crowd and fellow competitors at the John Labatt Centre last night.

“I will be awfully surprised if I ever get another chance to win another Olympic medal, realistically, in Canada. It was such a sweet feeling, a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

BATTLED

And don’t tell any of them that they won “just a bronze.”

“I would challenge them to do what we did, to battle through sickness and play those teams, and we are so happy with the bronze,” said lead Christine Keshen, who fought some kind of virus. “Considering what we went through, and to win that last game, it feels like more than that to us. I don’t think anyone can say, ‘It’s only a bronze.’ ”

Third Amy Nixon, who also battled a virus, would have some choice words for anyone who would suggest that.

“First thing I’d say, right off the top, that it’s a lot of hard work for this bronze,” she said. “A bronze medal is an accomplishment and, as I get older, I think it will feel even better. Obviously, there’s still some residual regret about not getting a little bit better than that.

“For a 28-year-old who had never won a Canadian championship and had never gone to a Canadian junior, it’s not bad.”

And all four will cherish those special moments on the podium where they were presented with their medals at an outdoor plaza.

“When I got up there, it was so bright, there were so many lights and cameras and people as far as you could see,” Keshen said. “That was just powerful. I just felt so, ‘Yes, thank God we’re here.’

“After I got off the podium, I broke down completely. I was a mess. It was suddenly, ‘Oh my God, it’s over, we did this. Finally, we’re done.’”

Nixon will always remember being on the podium with her dad, Daryl, the team’s coach.

“That will be one that will be able to evoke emotion from me for a while,” she said.

“The podium and the night after the podium was pretty overwhelming,” Kleibrink said. “It was like being a rock star for a day.”

Copyright © 2006, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.

TheStar.com - Kleibrink ponders makeup of 2010 team

Mar. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM

LONDON, Ont.—Olympic curling bronze medallist Shannon Kleibrink has the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver in her sights but she’s not sure her team will remain the same.

“We haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk about that. I know I’m going to be trying but I don’t know if it will be the four of us or what,” Kleibrink told the Star yesterday before meeting fans at the Scott Tournament of Hearts.

Kleibrink and teammates Amy Nixon, Glenys Bakker and Christine Keshen were all in good health after travelling here from their Calgary-area homes. Several were afflicted with bacterial-related illnesses in Italy.

“Amy, Christine, my husband and several spectators all got really sick,” Kleibrink said. “It didn’t affect me, thank goodness. We don’t think it was food poisoning. It was a bacterial infection that lasted the entire time we played.”

Kleibrink blamed the health woes on non-pasteurized dairy products and said she spent the final five days eating salads at McDonald’s.

Reflecting on the Olympic experience, Kleibrink said if the team could do it all over again “the first thing we’d do is pack another suitcase of Canadian food.”

She said she hasn’t thrown a single stone since the bronze medal game and finds it difficult to get any time to herself.

“I come from a small town — 14,000 in Okotoks — and I think 13,999 of them know me now. I went to the grocery store the other day and it took a couple of hours. Down every aisle, they all stop and want an autograph. It’s fun, though.”

Kleibrink said the team was happy to be a part of Canada’s 24-medal performance.

“We were cheering at the TV for sports that we’ve never seen before,” she said, adding, “To have any Olympic medal is a dream so I’m not disappointed.”

Added Nixon: “Canadians have to realize there are some other countries with really, really good teams,” a reference to the gold medal Swedish women’s team.

Brian McAndrew

Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved

VOCM - Big Welcome for Team Gushue

February 28, 2006

The public will be given an opportunity to meet and greet Brad Gushue’s gold winning Olympic Curling Team on Saturday. Bob Osborne of the St. John’s Curling Club says the open house will take place from 1 - 4 p.m. at the St. John’s Convention Centre. Osborne says there’s no charge but people have been asked to bring along a non-perishable food item. He told Bill Rowe on VOCM’s Backtalk Russ Howard will join the team for the event, but he encourages everyone to arrive early. The Gushue Rink will be recognized at the Fog Devils game on Saturday. Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab, Mike Adam, Russ Howard, and coach Toby MacDonald will be on hand to drop the ceremonial puck. The team will also sign autographs on the concourse from 6 to 6:45 pm.

Meantime, it was a raucus welcome home for the Gushue curling rink early this morning at St. John’s International Airport. A huge crowd turned out to show Brad, Mark, Jamie, Mike and Toby just how proud they are of the team’s accomplishment. There was pride galore, with Canadian flags by the dozens waving to celebrate the homecoming. Brad Gushue was overwhelmed by the turnout. The coach of the Olympic champions, Toby McDonald, says the support has been fantastic.

Labrador City Mayor Graham Letto says the make-up of the team, from the island and Labrador, is special. Cabinet Minister Paul Shelley, says Brad Gushue and his team have united young and old. Avalon MP Fabian Manning says people from this province would still be proud of Team Gushue even without the gold medal. Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster, Bob Cole, was on hand having just arrived back from the Olympics himself. He attended the weekend medal ceremony.

© 2006 VOCM Ltd. All Rights Reserved.