Striking a Balance!

Team Alberta #2’s Grace Beaudry navigating life changes at the 2024 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships 

Finding proper balance between career aspirations, passions and post-secondary studies is a challenge most of us have or will face in our lifetimes. 

But for those talented enough to be national level curlers, the workload to achieve those high-end goals is already a steady undertaking, and that doesn’t include the amount of investment it takes to stay at peak performance level. 

It’s a thorough commitment – one not for the faint of heart. There are sacrifices that have to be made, and that goes doubly for those competing at the 2024 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships from the Suncor Community Leisure Centre at MacDonald Island Park in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Alta. 

Team Alberta #2’s Grace Beaudry is one of those athletes, as she and her Glencoe Curling Club rink of vice-skip/fourth Claire Booth, third Keelie Duncan, lead Carley Hardie, alternate Kate Ector, and coach Tyson Toews have aspirations of a gold medal here in Fort McMurray. 

The Winnipeg native recently moved to Calgary to study communications at the University of Calgary, where she linked up with her current rink, who downed Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cailey Locke (0-1; St. John’s) by a 6-3 score in draw 4 action on Monday afternoon. 

Moving provinces is a life transition that has had a profound impact on her day-to-day affairs, even without considering her aspirations in curling, 

“The biggest one is getting used to being away from family,” said Beaudry. “Not living at home, it’s really a big transition.” 

Moving to Calgary has proven fruitful for Beaudry, who is experiencing success on the ice since joining the existing Booth rink, as well as leaning on her curling network to garner new friendships. 

“Even not having any friends there other than my curling team, it’s a big change but curling made it a really easy transition,” said Beaudry. “We connected very well as a team. You have a couple back-end players come in and it works pretty well for us.” 

Beaudry’s experiences aren’t unique to any U-21 athlete at these New Holland championships. She knows that most of the players in the field will have to make concessions to make their curling and career dreams come true. 

“It’s pretty hard to balance, honestly, I don’t know I’ve made it work,” said Beaudry. “Honestly, with curling, the Calgary Dinos curling program helps us work around between school and curling. School is the number one priority, so they always put that first and curling is second, but I’ll always find time for both and made it work this year.” 

Ensuring Beaudry stays on the ice and is involved in curling is of the utmost importance for her since she’s studying communications with the intent to combine her passions and find a career in the curling industry. 

“I love working with others and getting to work in groups,” said Beaudry. “I love the social media aspect. Anything that involves curling, I’d do it.” 

The young Manitoban-turned-Albertan is already well on her way to finding career success in curling, as she was selected to be Curling Canada’s Social Media Correspondent at the recently concluded 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, where she took on tasks such as content curation, editing, and managing player interactions in support of Curling Canada’s communications team. 

“It was awesome,” said Beaudry. “Getting to work with Curling Canada, getting to see all the behind-the-scenes stuff of events that even (would like to) I play in, getting to work with everyone, it was pretty cool. Getting to take everything in was the coolest.” 

The end goal, aside from a career in curling, is a Canadian National championship and beyond. 

“Would love to go to a Scotties,” said Beaudry. “And the Olympics.” 

Team Alberta #2 will be back in action Tuesday at 9 a.m., (all times Mountain) against provincial rivals Team Alberta #1’s Emma Deschiffart (1-1; Lacombe). 

Select games from two sheets will be broadcast live on Curling Canada’s streaming platform, Curling Canada +. Sheet C will feature a complete broadcast with commentary and sheet D will be a static overhead camera broadcast beginning Tuesday evening. 

For the list of teams, draw and live scores, visit the event website.