As we near the end of the 2023-2024 curling season, it sure seems like we bid farewell in much the same way we welcomed the first rocks of the fall: with highlights of Sudbury curlers, far and wide.
Above all else, the year will always be remembered as the ultimate breakthrough for Tracy Fleury, doubling up on her first ever triumph at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a world title only weeks later, her rink of Rachel Homan (skip), Emma Miskew (second) and Sarah Wilkes (lead) losing just one game between those two events.
“In the moment, when it first happened, there’s a little bit of disbelief,” noted Fleury, roughly a week removed from the crowning moment of her curling career – so far. “We’ve had a little time to have it sink in and you definitely reflect back on the process and the journey, thinking of the former teammates and coaches and everyone who helped you get there.”
“It’s been a wild ride,” added Fleury, a graduate of Lockerby Composite and Laurentian University. “There’s ups and downs and a lot of struggles along the way – but that’s how you learn.”
An extra end loss to Jennifer Jones in the final of the 2022 Olympic Trials was easily the most challenging of setbacks, with Fleury forced to truly assess the reality of her dreams. “We were so close to a big goal like that and we had put in so much time and effort, so much time on the road,” she said.
“Sometimes you wonder if it’s too much. But I chatted with my family, my husband (Brent) and decided to keep going with it,” Fleury added. “He’s always been very supportive. That’s a big reason why I was able to keep going.”
Where every victory to date was followed with a next step just a month or so away, the world title victory over the Silvana Tirinzoni/Alina Patz led foursome from Switzerland comes as close as anything to providing a chance to step back and take it all in.
“It’s kind of nice that we’ll be able to get some rest over the summer and really enjoy it and then start gearing up for next season, focusing on what comes next,” said Fleury. Wired the way elite athletes are, Team Homan is hardly a candidate to rest of their laurels.
“We seem to be a pretty motivated bunch,” laughed Fleury. “It sure seems like the motivation is still very strong. We still want to strive to get better and try new things. Although we’re very happy with how we are performing, it’s still only our second year together. With more games together, more practices together, I think we can still step it up a notch – which is really exciting.”
