Local curler Olympics-bound
BCNG Portals Page - Local curler Olympics-bound
Christine Keshen, seen with former high school coach Barry Gillies, is heading to the Winter Olympics in Italy as part of Canada’s Women’s Curling Team. Echo file photo by Erika Baltrus
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By Erika Baltrus
ECHO REPORTER
Dec 14 2005
The entire valley community felt of surge of pride on Saturday when Invermere’s own Christine Keshen and her curling team won the opportunity to attend the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Team Kleibrink made a stunning win in the final game of the Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials on Dec. 10 against Team Scott, ensuring them a trip to the Olympics.
Keshen described to The Echo the final moments when skip Shannon Kleibrink made the winning throw.
“I don’t think I can even describe the emotions, especially since we were down two coming home with hammer. We had expected to get two in that end and go to another end and be forced to steal,” Keshen noted. “That’s a tough position to be in. It’s pretty mentally stressful.
“We suddenly set up the end and realized we might get three here. When Shannon had the open hit for the win, I was shaking. I could sort of tell that we had it by the tone in Amy’s voice. I could start to hear the excitement. We just started jumping up and down. We knew we’d made the shot and everyone just started running.”
Keshen plays lead with Kleibrink, third Amy Nixon, and second Glenys Bakker. She attributes the success of the team that is based out of Calgary to the diversity of the members.
“There are four very, very different people and that can be challenging but every one person on this team brings a little something different to the core, to that mix,” she revealed. “With that mix it is the right balance to make an ultimate team. We are all at different stages in our lives and we all have totally different backgrounds and personal lives and careers. Amy has been through a lot with her mother being ill. Shannon and I have both quit our jobs and have made a lot of sacrifices personally and professionally. Glenys had a baby in August and she’s been carrying around the baby, feeding the baby at the fifth end break. We’re able to overcome anything that is thrown in our path and we feel like we can do anything because we’ve been through so much.”
Already life has changed for the foursome. Keshen joked that she suddenly understands how Britney Spears feels, being hounded by fans and supporters. After a break for Christmas, when she will come home to Invermere, it all begins.
“We have one day off in three or four months and then we are owned basically for the next two years so it is going to be an exciting ride,” she said.
Team Kleibrink will be shipping out to Switzerland where they will be playing in the biggest international women’s ’spiel in Bern, and then they are off to take a site tour of Turin.
“People are coming up to us and cheering ‘Go Team Canada’ and I’m just thinking wow, we’re Team Canada!” Keshen mused. “When you bring that many people together who have such strong desire, dedication, goals and heart, I think the energy there is going to be so awesome and I am so looking forward to being a part of Team Canada. We all want the same goal and we’re all going to be cheering for each other and I am so stoked to be a part of that bigger unit.”
Keshen is also very proud to have her roots in the valley.
“I can’t wait to get back there. I’m stoked to bring my medal and share it with the community. I’m so proud to be an Inver-merian. That community has really helped me along. I could feel that everyone was behind me 100%, with the messages that were sent and all the best wishes. Going in here I felt that it wasn’t just a personal accomplishment, that it’s a bigger thing. My roots stem from there and I just want to make sure the community shares it with me.”
She especially wanted to note her coaches who helped her get her start in curling at David Thompson Secondary School.
“Bill Robinson and Barry Gillies were my two coaches back in high school. Every time I win something big, I always want to make sure that they know that I think about them.”
Gillies and Robinson are both thrilled for Keshen and her successes but both brush off any real credit for where she’s made it.
“Barry was certainly the main coach,” said Robinson. “She’s pretty well self-taught but I’m happy to have been even a small part of her success and I can only wish her well.”
Gillies also thinks his role was very small “but it was a thrill for me to see her win. “Probably the biggest influence I had on her was turning her onto the game of curling. But she’s a very athletic and intelligent girl and she knows how to set goals for herself and go after it. The rest of it she did on her own. I just think it’s absolutely wonderful. How many times do you have an Olympian represent your town?”
© Copyright 2005 Invermere Valley Echo