GoFundMe created to help exonerated curler Briane Harris cover legal fees

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This article was published 12/02/2025 (251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Petersfield residents have launched a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of local professional curler Briane Harris to help ease the financial hardship she has endured fighting her ban from competitive curling.

Harris, a four-time Canadian champion lead with Kerri Einarson’s team, served a provisional suspension that dragged on 11 months after testing positive for trace amounts of an illegal substance, Ligandrol, a year ago.

Harris finally won her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last month — it ruled she bore no fault or negligence for being exposed to the banned substance, which her husband passed along — but was left with thousands of dollars in legal fees.

The idea to raise money had been floated a few times as people learned of the hefty bill Harris incurred, but it never got off the ground until Dianne Grocholski, a longtime family friend, acted on it.

The GoFundMe page opened last weekend and Grocholski has set a goal of $40,000.

“They’re a young family just starting out… and then, of course, she’s expecting a second child right now, as well. They’re just trying to make it like everybody else, and all of a sudden, the rug is pulled out from under them completely, (through) no fault of her own,” Grocholski said.

“To me, it’s like, here’s this woman that’s our champion… and all of a sudden this happens, and we’re supposed to have her back.

“It’s been huge, the impact on her emotionally and her family, and financially, it’s been huge, far more than anybody would even imagine. I just think she needs support.”

Harris, who is seven months pregnant, is not one to ask others for help, but has been open about the toll the suspension and legal proceedings had on her and her family.

“I can admit, it does make me a little uncomfortable since asking for/accepting help is not natural for me. But at the same time, I am immensely and enormously grateful for every penny that has been donated to help my family,” Harris said in a written statement to the Free Press.

“This case has put a huge strain on us in many ways, and we’re still trying to get to the other side of it. To every single generous, amazing person who has donated to help us — thank you so much. It is beyond appreciated.”

The past year has been hellish for Harris as she learned about her suspension on the eve of the 2024 women’s national championship.

She appealed the decision in August but then had to wait another five months before finding out her appeal was successful. During the whole process, she was prohibited from communicating with team members and could not set foot on a curling rink while banned.

In January, shortly after receiving the first piece of good news in months, Harris was delivered another setback when she was told the team would not be returning her to the regular lineup or as an alternate for the national championship, which begins Friday in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Team Einarson stated it wanted to maintain a consistent lineup heading into the biggest event of the year and the team had already locked in its alternate player before hearing Harris had been exonerated on appeal. The Gimli-based team will run with third Val Sweeting, recently acquired second Karlee Burgess and Krysten Karwacki, who has filled in at lead during Harris’ absence.

While Harris waits to hear about her future with the team, having some or all of her legal fees covered would be a welcomed change of fortune.

“She’s earned our respect,” said Grocholski. “For this to have happened to her is very strange, because she is so particular. She’s very methodical about everything she does and how she does it.

“I know there is so much more to this story than what the average person knows, and I do believe that someday Briane… will say a little bit more, but when I say she’s walking on pins and needles, she’s hoping she still has a career in curling by the fall and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen with her team.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca