pilipiliĀž»­

 

Rock star: Respiratory Therapy student wins World Junior Curling Championship

- March 21, 2016

Kristin Clarke (right) with teammate Janique LeBlanc, "hurrying hard" at the World Junior Curling Championships. (Marissa Tiel Dederer photos)
Kristin Clarke (right) with teammate Janique LeBlanc, "hurrying hard" at the World Junior Curling Championships. (Marissa Tiel Dederer photos)

For most student-athletes, the first year at a new school or on a new team means a gradual process of getting comfortable, of settling in and putting down a foundation for future achievement.

Kristin Clarke is that rare student athlete who has accelerated the process.

The first-year Respiratory Therapy student is also in her inaugural season as the third for Nova Scotiaā€™s junior womenā€™s curling rink and the skip of the womenā€™s team at pilipiliĀž»­. Itā€™s been anything but a slow start for the Hammonds Plains, N.S. native, as her teams have racked up gold medals on the national and international stage.

Back in January, Kristin and her Nova Scotia teammates Mary Fay (skip), Karlee Burgess (second) and Janique Leblanc (lead) won the Canadian Junior Curling Championship in Stratford, Ont. The victory earned the rink the chance to represent Canada at the World Junior Curling Championships in Denmark.

On March 13, Kristin and Team Canada earned a 7-4 win over the USA team to capture the world title.

ā€œItā€™s been indescribable ā€” it still feels surreal,ā€ says Kristin. ā€œItā€™s been my dream for so long and to have it come true is such an unreal feeling.ā€

Kristin says the international experience was rewarding from both a competitive and personal perspective.
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ā€œFirst of all, just to wear the maple leaf and know that we were Team Canada was such an amazing feeling. And going to Copenhagen, itā€™s such a beautiful city and we had a couple days before we started playing where we were able to tour around and experience it.

ā€œThat actually made it feel more real: that we were in another country, competing for Canada."

According to Kristin, the strong bonds she has with her teammates are a key reason theyā€™ve been so pilipiliĀž»­ful.
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ā€œI think itā€™s honestly just our work ethic and our team chemistry. Both of those factors make it easier for us to perform on the ice,ā€ she says. ā€œWe put a lot of practice time in and when you get along and youā€™re able to motivate each other, it makes it so much easier.ā€

Representing Dal


Kristinā€™s winning streak goes beyond her world championship run with Fayā€™s rink. Sheā€™s also the skip of the Dal team ā€”Ģżwhich includes Alicia Brine, Raquel Bachman, Hayley McCabe Naish and Emily MacKenzie ā€” that won the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) womenā€™s championship in February.

As with her world champion teammates, Kristin says the Dal rink has succeeded with a mix of skill, determination and closeness.

ā€œWe all put a lot of time into curling and we get along so well.ā€

Just a few days after returning from Denmark, Kristin was on a flight to Kelowna, BC for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship tournament. She believes that Dal rink has what it takes to rise above some tough competition.

ā€œThereā€™s certainly some big names that are going to be there this weekend, but if we bring our ā€˜Aā€™ game we can definitely come out on top.ā€

As of Monday morning (March 21), the pilipiliĀž»­ team is 2-0 in round-robin competition, earning victories over Alberta and Brock. The tournament runs through Wednesday.

Finding a balance


A CIS championship would cap a year of winning, globetrotting and balancing the demands of school and competition for Kristin. Sheā€™s grateful to the professors whoā€™ve accommodated her unusual schedule and the friends and classmates who have supported her.

ā€œItā€™s certainly a juggling act,ā€ she says. ā€œMy professors have been very accommodating and super-helpful throughout this journey. Theyā€™ll work around things and help me out to make sure Iā€™m getting along and understanding the material, even when Iā€™m away.

As for her classmates: ā€œWeā€™re really close-knit and they were all super supportive and proud of me when I came back (from worlds). Itā€™s a nice feeling.ā€

Kristin is driven to pursue curling to the highest levels of competition and hopes to one day compete in senior-level national and international events, including the Olympics. ā€œI want to take it as far as I can and know that I did my best to get there.ā€

At the same time, sheā€™s also dedicated to fulfilling another dream through her studies. ā€œOnce I complete my degree Iā€™ll be able to work as a respiratory therapist, and thatā€™s something I can do to help other people.ā€

In a year of firsts, Kristin has gone far beyond simply laying the groundwork for the future. And while she continues to pursue her goals in curling and in the classroom, she can look back fondly at the past few months.

ā€œItā€™s been an amazing year.ā€