Ultramarathoner and teacher contributing to Manitoba’s success at 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships

Manitoba’s Team Zachary Wasylik returns to the 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships and is running towards a spot on the podium this week at the Barrie Curling Club in Ontario.

The skip from Winnipeg’s Pembina Curling Club knows a thing or two about running. In the past five years, the 25-year-old accountant has taken up ultramarathons, running some 50-km races, with his longest trek stretching 72 kilometres—the distance from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie or Toronto to Hamilton.

“I might hate myself about 40-45 kilometres into one, but it feels good when I’m done, so it makes it all worth it. Then I can have three boxes of pizza on the couch after and not feel bad,” Wasylik said.

His running journey started after completing an 11-kilometre marathon relay leg, the furthest he’d ever run before deciding to push himself further.

His teammate, second Josh Harding, explains that’s who Wasylik is; no half-measures.

“We were flying through the Calgary airport, and they have those conveyor belts to walk on through the airport, and he challenged me to a race where I got to run on the conveyor belt, and he got to run beside me, not on a conveyor belt, holding all of his gear and the team’s broom bag; he beat me,” Harding said. “It’s cool because the same principle applies to his long-distance running to everything he does. It applies to our game as well. He expects a lot from us, so it’s led to some good success.”

Wasylik, Harding, vice-skip Jack Hykaway, lead Graham Normand, and alternate Andrew Peck have embraced that mindset on the ice. As of Thursday evening, Team Manitoba was one of four team to qualify for the playoffs in its pool.

Plus, the experience of playing at this event in 2022 at Edmonton helped the team adjust to the tempo of the task and how to handle the mentally taxing load of the week-long event. While ultramarathons are physically demanding, a national curling championship is more mentally draining.

“It’s just a long time with a week-long event. With the ultramarathon, I can always tell myself that in five or six hours, I’ll be done. Who knows, though, if I end up going further and getting into the 100-mile races? Then I might have to pick those.”

Harding, meanwhile, feels more relaxed heading into the competition, focusing on showcasing his love for the game and inspiring his Grade 5 and 6 students at St. George School, where he’s a student-teacher with Mr. Fontaine’s class. They’ve been an inspiration for him,  and he is quick to express his gratitude and pride in teaching them.

On Thursday afternoon, his students tuned in to watch his live-streamed game, a 9-2 win against Team Blair Jay of the Summerside Curling Club in Prince Edward Island.

“I’m proud to show them what I can do, and I was proud to go out there and represent the province well for them. I’m hoping that I can show them what good sportsmanship looks like and what it means to be a proud athlete, a proud ambassador of the province,” he said. “I’m glad we have the opportunity to do this because we have all chosen not to be professional curlers and do other things with our lives. I’m passionate about being a teacher; the other guys are passionate about what they do too, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t passionate about curling and playing for our province.”

Ontario’s Team Jordan Keon (Richmond Hill Curling Club) remains the only undefeated team in the men’s competition and atop of Pool A with a 5-0 record. Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta’s Team Rob Johnson (4-1, Irricana Curling Club) and New Brunswick’s Team Jeff Lacey (3-2; Thistle Curling Club, Saint John) have earned the four playoff spots available in the pool.

In Pool B, Quebec’s Team Stéphane Brabant (Boucherville Curling Club) rattled off four consecutive wins to improve to 4-1 and tie Nova Scotia’s Team Travis Stone (Sydney Curling Club) at the top of the standings and are guaranteed spots playoff berths.

In women’s action, Saskatchewan’s Team Samantha Yachiw-Omelian (4-1; Sutherland Curling Club, Saskatoon) and Quebec’s Team Gabrielle Lavoie (4-2; Victoria Curling Club, Quebec City) have qualified in Pool A.

All four playoff teams are confirmed in Pool B: Prince Edward Island’s Team Amanda Power (5-0; Cornwall Curling Club), Nova Scotia’s Team Michelle Armstrong (4-1; Lakeshore Curling Club, Lower Sackville), Manitoba’s Team Deb McCreanor (3-2; La Salle Curling Club) and Northern Ontario’s Team Kim Beaudry (3-3; Curl Fort Frances Community Centre).

Action resumes at the 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships on Friday with draws at 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m. (All times ET).

Fourteen men’s teams and 14 women’s teams are competing this week. The fields are divided into two pools of seven teams. After the round robin, the top four teams in each pool will qualify for double-knockout playoffs, beginning Friday, Nov. 22, and concluding with the gold- and bronze-medal games on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Fans can follow the action live with selected games available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel and TSN+. 

For live scores and standings, visit the scoreboard page.

For team lineups, draw times, and other event details, visit the event website.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at: https://www.curling.ca/?lang=fr