Wilfrid Laurier women’s curling lead Cheryl Kreviazuk has a lifetime of memories packed into four years.
With three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships under her belt, three Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships and a CIS bronze medal, a gold medal at the Karuizawa International Curling championships in Japan, topped off with a visit to FISU games in Trentino, Italy this year, Kreviazuk has been busy.
One of her most notable experiences was her journey to Japan in 2012 with the team. Kreviazuk was the alternate on the team led by skip Laura Crocker.
If there was one word Kreviazuk could use to describe the entire experience, it would be “incredible.”
“Definitely an experience that I can’t forget,” she said.
“I loved absolutely every minute of it and to be able to wear the maple leaf on your back is an incredible feeling you won’t forget.”
Kreviazuk comes from a family rich in curling, and it was a matter of time before she started following in their footsteps. She started curling when she was only six years old.
“My two older sisters were playing and I really wanted to get out there instead of just sitting in the curling club. So at six I came out and played my first year, and I loved it,” Kreviazuk said.
“My two older sisters have accomplished numerous, things in their curling career so I definitely look up to them and the support that I receive from my parents is absolutely incredible.”
Both Lynn and Alison Kreviazuk have played for Team Homan, with Alison winning a silver medal last month at the world women’s curling championship in New Brunswick. Alison will be leaving Homan’s team this year to go live in Sweden with her boyfriend.
Halfway through her university career, Kreviazuk switched from being the alternate and lead with Crocker’s rink to later being lead with an entirely different team and skip Carly Howard.
“The transition from one team to the other, it seemed like big shoes to fill with what our team accomplished in my first and second year, but I got along very well with the next girls and I’m really happy with what we were able to accomplish,” she said.
According to Kreviazuk, the girls are great friends on and off the ice, which aids in ridding any tension when joining a new team.
Kreviazuk finished up her university tenure with a final trip to nationals with the team, finishing third in the country.
After all of her success, what is next in store for Kreviazuk?
She will be continuing the family legacy by entering into women’s curling with a brand new team at the K-W Granite Curling Club.
“I’m still trying to test the waters. This will be my first year, this upcoming year competing at the woman’s level and I have this high expectations, high goals but I’d love to get my name out there. I’m not quite sure but I’m excited for it.”
