Newmarket’s top mixed doubles curling team, Megan Smith and Douglas Thomson, have grown in their second season of serious competition.
After coming up just short of nationals in their first season last year, the duo has made a name for themselves on the competitive circuit. Playing in 13 events and continually placing well, the pair from the York Curling Club has excelled and reached rankings of 23rd in Canada and 35th in the world.
This time, they will compete at the national championships against Canada’s best.
“For us, it just comes down to a lot of hard work,” Smith said. “This year, we’ve put in even more effort. As it’s year two, (we're) a little bit more comfortable with each other and just helping each other play our best.”
The duo will play at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Summerside Prince Edward Island March 16 to 21. To help fund the trip, the duo has started a GoFundMe to pay for travel and accommodations. They have raised about $720 of a $5,000 goal so far.
This year, the team qualified on points, ranking highly across 13 tournaments to get their ticket into nationals with a 40-26 record on the season.
Smith said it is a passion for the game that drives them forward.
“We both really love curling, and we love all the aspects that come into it,” she said. “The friendships, the travel, and also winning is a bonus. But I think more than anything, we just really enjoy the experiences. That pushes us to even want to be better each time we practise and go to events.”
The York Curling Club is also showing its support for the duo, collecting donations at the facility.
“We can’t wait to see you crush it in Summerside,” the club said on social media.
With Curling Canada not funding teams for nationals, all expenses come out of their own pocket, Smith said. She added that the duo appreciates the community helping them.
“The community has been amazing,” she said. “We feel a lot of support from the community.”
The team has already played against some of the top teams in the world. But Smith said they hope to maintain a high level of play in years to come.
“We’re feeling comfortable playing into the teams, and we’re really excited about the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience,” she said. “Our hopes are just to continue climbing the rankings … More than anything, we’re looking for that consistency.”
You can donate to the team through their GoFundMe.