Curler isn’t rocked by ‘most mature athlete’ title

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This article was published 27/01/2010 (6046 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — Curler Carolyn Darbyshire isn’t sure she likes the distinction she’s earned from her years of experience as she heads to the Vancouver Olympics.

But the 46-year-old, who plays second on Cheryl Bernard’s team, does see the humour in the fact she will be the oldest Canadian — and one of the oldest overall — at these Winter Games.

"I chuckled," she said following a practice Tuesday at the Calgary Curling Club. "It’s not something I think about. I just go on day by day and I don’t think of those things — just like if I thought of everything I have to do in a day. I would probably panic. It’s a lot of perspective."

It’s not much of a surprise that a curler would hold that status due to the fact that athletes can play the game well into their late 40s and be competitive.

Darbyshire is by no means the oldest Canadian athlete to compete at the Olympics, and isn’t even the oldest in her sport. In 2006 Russ Howard turned 50 during the Turin Games and also became the oldest Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal.

Darbyshire, who has two children at home, said she and her teammates — third Susan O’Connor, 32, and lead Cori Bartel, 38 round out the rink — have their priorities straight and age isn’t high on her list of concerns.

"It’s hard. Cheryl lost her Dad, I almost lost my stepson a couple of years ago to cancer and everything is just a perspective," she explained.

"We have become a closer team because of it. Susan got married last summer. Cori’s getting married this coming summer. Cheryl and I both have our families that we love to be around."

Bernard has spoken at length about seeing the upcoming Olympics differently than younger competitors because they are "older athletes."

Darbyshire agrees. "No matter what happens we’ve got jobs, we’ve got lives, we’ve got husbands so life does go on even after everything is finished. If we win gold the sun is still going to shine. I still have to come home to two kids and raise my family," Darbyshire said.

"We won’t be the teenagers going in there and wondering if you’re ever going to get back and stuff like that. You soak it all in and just enjoy it. That’s what we did at the trials and that’s what we want to do for the Olympics too."

 

— The Canadian Press