Alberta’s Sweeting back on the big stage

Valerie Sweeting rocked the Alberta curling establishment in 2010, defeating a pair of longtime veterans, Shannon Kleibrink and Cathy King, on the way to making history as the youngest skip to represent the province at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Sweeting downed King in the semifinal of the Alberta playdowns, leading to a dramatic extra-end upset in the championship final over Kleibrink, the bronze medal-winner at the 2006 Olympic Games. At the outset of the 2013 season, the 26-year-old skip is preparing for the Capital One Road to the Roar, presented by Monsanto, and her first shot at representing Canada at the Olympics. On the merits of a 13th-place finish in last year’s Canadian Team Ranking System, the Sweeting foursome – including Dana Ferguson, Joanne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny – will be part of the 24-team field, Nov. 5-10 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, competing for the final four spots in the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. Two teams of each gender will advance to the Canadian Curling Trials this December in Winnipeg’s MTS Centre, with the opportunity to compete for a trip to Sochi, Russia. “You Gotta Be There” for the 2013 Road to the Road, when Olympic dreams come to life in Kitchener. Reserve your seats today by clicking here.
Sweeting (photos)

Valerie Sweeting, Dana Ferguson, Joanne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny (CCA Photo)