SoB: So, I must ask – you grew up in Ottawa and now you’re living just outside of Edmonton… are you a Senators or an Oilers fan? RH: Oh, Senators. Absolutely! You gotta stay with the home team! I’ve got a bunch of toddler Sens tee shirts and jerseys. But it’s hard to pull them away from the Oilers and Connor McDavid, that guy is just so talented and fun to watch. SoB: But back to curling… is there an off-season for you? It looks like it runs pretty much throughout the full year. I know it’s considered a winter sport but is there a typical offseason? RH: Yeah, so the offseason usually runs from the beginning of April until the end of August. It’s not overly long but we have a solid three months or so of complete downtime before we start practicing again. It sort of depends on where you live and train; there are only a few clubs that get ice in August so you might have to travel and get together as a team and then the season’s sort of up and running by the end of August. SoB: OK, so a nice little break. When August hits, then, and you’re fully involved in your season, I’m assuming it’s a very different routine for you during the on-season than the off-season. Could you tell me a bit about what a typical day in the life of getting ready for competition looks like? RH: Yeah, I mean, every day looks a little bit different. And it’s pretty chaotic with the three kids and their schedules. But, a typical day for us looks like the kiddos are up early and we all do breakfast. Then, it’s getting my son out the door for preschool. And then, sometimes I’m able to do a Chiropractic treatment or something similar in the morning. And in the morning, I’ve got Briggs and Bowyn with me. And then Bowyn starts school at noon. So, at that point, I can do practice and workouts, and then it’s straight to pickups at three o’clock. Sometimes, my husband or whoever’s in town to help us out might do one of those for us so that I can get practice and workout done and then come back and help out with the family stuff in the evening with the kids. “You must understand the game well. So, this means there’s a lot less explaining, and, in every shot, everyone has a good sense of Plan A or Plan B.”
After school activities, my son plays hockey five days a week and my daughter has gymnastics so, sometimes in the morning, I might take her to her gymnastics class. And then, swimming starts in March. So, you know, everyday kind of looks a little bit different and I schedule my training and workouts around the kids’ activities and it’s nice to be able to do some other activities during the day, so we have more of our evenings to ourselves and it’s not as hectic.
I’m on maternity leave from my main job, which is teaching, so right now, I’m not having to juggle work as well. Curling is my main job now. A newborn’s full-time so it’s like, full-time and more than full-time! It’s more like having two full-time jobs! I’m just enjoying the infant and newborn stage and it goes by so quickly. So, I’m just fortunate that I’m able to be home as much as I am and it’s hard being away from them and missing certain things. Still, I know that I’m showing them that setting goals, being dedicated, and working hard towards something is important, no matter what you choose. I hope that we’re setting good values in our kids and for them to see what you can achieve when you put your focus into it. So, it’s really that every day looks different for me, there are no days that are the same but I’m able to get my training in during those hours, while the two older ones are both at school and I’ve had different friends watching the baby while I’m practicing, or working out and couple times he’s joined me in the gym and slept through my workout. So yeah, everyday kind of looks different for me! SoB: Over the past decade, you have had a phenomenal win record – more than 80%. What do you think is the key to keeping you and your team at the top of your game without giving away the secret sauce, so to speak? RH: Honestly, I think it comes down to the commitment to teamwork. We worked hard this year as a team, and
14 SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 24 ISSUE 1
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