One of Scotland’s best known curlers reckons she will be playing alongside ‘the best skip in the world’ after returning home to join Team Muirhead ahead of the new season.
Kelly Schafer’s name may not be instantly recognised, but as Kelly Wood the 35-year-old represented Great Britain at successive Winter Olympics’ in 2006 and 2010 before emigrating to Canada.
That move effectively ruled her out of consideration for Scottish and British teams in the past six years but a serious knee injury suffered by Anna Sloan, a member of Scotland’s leading team, forced them to look for a temporary replacement and Schafer was delighted to get the call to be what she happily describes as their ‘supersub’, not least because of her respect for former teammate Eve Muirhead, the team’s skip.
“The reaction (in Canada) has been huge, especially in my local area, Saskatchewan, because curling is so popular there,” she noted.
“Eve’s even more popular there than she is here in Scotland from a curling perspective so everybody’s just so excited.
“I think it helped that I came into the community (in Swift Current) from Eve’s team and now I’m going back to her and her team when she’s thought of so highly as an Olympic medallist. She’s arguably the best skip in the world I would say.”
Schafer reckons that assessment reflects how Team Muirhead, who ended last season officially ranked number three in the world, is widely regarded in curling’s dominant nation where they will begin their competitive season in Edmonton before (Sept 8-11) before heading to her home province the following week.
“They know. Canadians are knowledgeable. They’re not too protective,” she observed.
“They like who they like. So everybody was just so excited that I’ve got this opportunity. Knowing how well thought of Eve and her team are adds to the excitement and that’s kind of cool, because it also spreads the excitement for a Scottish team.”
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