by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 4, 2017 | Blog, News & Events
Ashli Barrett/Lacombe Globe Friday, June 2, 2017 3:02:30 MDT PM Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard delivers a keynote speech to hundred of students the Alberta Student Leadership Conference at Lacombe Composite High School on Tuesday morning. (Ashli Barrett/Lacombe Globe)You don’t win silver, you lose the gold is a notion former Canadian curler and Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard isn’t a fan of. Kick-started by a controversial Nike ad campaign in 1996, it implies anything less than gold should come with feelings of regret, missed opportunities and failure, something Bernard has made the conscious decision to refute. A keynote speaker at the Alberta Student Leadership Conference (ASLC) hosted by Lacombe Composite High School, she spoke to around 600 students from across the province on resiliency, attitude and choosing how to view life experiences. Naturally, the focus was on one of her biggest experiences in Vancouver 2010, where her final shot in the extra end didn’t curl the way she’d expected and her team missed the gold by mere millimetres. “I really am a big believer in perspective and learning from losses,” Bernard said. “I told them the one quote – when I competed it hung on my mirror for years – and it said ‘I never lose, I either win or I learn.’ I honestly think if you can approach life that way and don’t have everything built around being an athlete or winning, but around the experience, the journey is pretty incredible.” Losses and failures, she said, are inevitable. It’s how one chooses to deal with them that builds resiliency and defines leadership. While athletes are recognized when...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jan 9, 2017 | Blog, News & Events
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2016 06:00 am By: Simon DucatelOlympic medallist Cheryl Bernard shares on Wednesday, Dec. 4 a moment with Sundre Junior Curling Club member McKenzie McElhinney.Noel West/MVP Staff Despite retiring from professional curling following a silver medal win at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Cheryl Bernard remains passionate about sharing her love for the sport with the next generation of curlers. “I’ve been lucky to play this game since I was eight,” she told the Round Up during an interview at Sundre’s curling rink while about 30 members of the junior club practised. “To see kids having that opportunity, that’s a big deal to me,” she said. “I love just seeing them interact — seeing them do well out there. They get so excited when they make a shot. They get so excited when they learn something new. For me, that’s a big part of it, is just seeing them succeed and have so much fun playing the game. That’s why I do it.” Bernard could not refuse when her friend Derek Ralph, who recently relocated to Sundre, invited her to share her story with the local junior curlers. Although her schedule as a TSN curling commentator keeps her busy, Bernard said she aims to spend time with young curlers at every possible opportunity. “This was nice, it’s close to home,” said the enthusiastic and friendly Calgary resident, adding she’s also been involved with curling camps that introduce children to the sport. Junior curling programs are perhaps increasingly important during times of extended economic hardship. Curling is a lifelong and “very inexpensive sport,” compared with, for example, hockey or golf...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jan 9, 2017 | Blog, News & Events
I was honoured to be at the opening of the 2017 Participaction 150 Play List in Toronto this morning and promote one of Canada’s chosen sports, curling! To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday Participaction.ca created a list of the 150 most Canadian activities out there. And of course curling is on that list! Along with hockey (no surprise) and soccer and everyday activities like the “all Canadian” pursuit of snow shovelling as well as hopscotch and bean bag toss. In 2017 Participaction is challenging Canadians everywhere to complete as many activities on the list as possible for chances to win spectacular prizes like activity trackers, trips across Canada, and a new car! So lets getting moving Canada! Get out there, try as many activities as you can! Do them with your friends & family! Track your activities online and earn chances to win great prizes! Click here to sign up! You can follow all the activities on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on what’s happening, including cool contests, practical tips and even more opportunities to get involved. You can also join the social media debate about which activities are the most Canadian by using the #150PlayList hashtag. Jan 6,...
by Cheryl Bernard | Nov 9, 2016 | Blog, News & Events, Uncategorized
Retiring from the game I love was a difficult decision for many reasons. Curling afforded me many fantastic opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had, and I knew I would be giving up some of those when I tossed my last competitive stone. I’m thankful I was able to leave the game with few regrets, but one had always stuck with me – I never had the chance to play an event in Scotland, the birthplace of our sport. So, when Golf Away Tours presented my TSN colleague Bryan Mudryk, and I with the opportunity to host a golf getaway with a little curling mixed in, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Ten of us set out for an action-packed Scottish adventure. Several group members jokingly pondered how much scotch we would consume before all was said and done. When I inquired whether that was a necessary part of the cultural acclimation process, I received a rather emphatic yes and quickly realized there would be no room for compromise on this issue. A wave of hesitation washed over me when it came time to try the native nectar, but when in Rome…er, Scotland, I suppose. I will spare you the unpleasant adjectives and just say it has quite the unique flavor. Four doctors were among our crew – one of whom just happened to be a liver doctor. After I took the first sip, I was extremely grateful he was there. Despite my body’s inner protests, I tried several times to acquire a taste. I never quite made it, and that is my one regret from the trip. ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Oct 29, 2016 | Blog, News & Events
Out of Retirement (for three weeks) Cheryl Bernard Coming out of retirement (albeit briefly) reminded me again as to how tough it can be for teams who are on the road almost every second weekend over a nine-month period. That was one of the biggest reasons I decided to retire from the game… travel. It just got old after doing it for so many years. However, my brief stint out of retirement in September was different. First, I knew there was an end date. Second, I really do miss competing and being out there on the ice with my team. Weekend #1: Team Jones I got the call early in the summer from Team Jennifer Jones, asking if I could spare for Jen at the Colonial in Saskatoon as she wouldn’t be back on the ice after the new addition to her family, baby Skyla. I was all over this, and for many reasons. You don’t get many opportunities in curling to play with other teams, and especially one that you competed against for many years. And I was also curious as to how this team retains the desire and grit that they always seem to have. We started with a 6-2 win over Regina’s Chantelle Eberle, after going 4-1 up after four ends. Then we lost 7-3 to Team Japan, the Saiji Fujisawa team that finished second at the worlds back in April. Our time in the second event didn’t last long as we lost again, 7-3 as well, to Brett Barber’s team from Biggar, the hometown of Sandra Schmirler. With our backs to the wall, we...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jul 7, 2015 | Blog
Overview This day was all about why we were climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for projects like the Ketumbeine ADP (Area Development Project). The main goal of this project which began in 2009 and is completed in 2024 is to contribute toward the improved and sustained well being of children, their famllies and community members, especially the most vulnerable. The hope is that these households and communities are socio-economically empowered to insure the wellbeing of children in that region. So the theory of a hand up, not a hand out. The main tribe is Maasai and the main religious denominations in the ADP are Christian, Muslim and traditionalists. The economy of the Ketumbeine ADP is predominatly based on livestock rearing and subsistence agriculture along Mt Ketumbeine. In the areas, there is no cash crop grown. The peasants used to cultivate beans, maize, sweet potatoes for food grown in very small areas of approximately a half acre. The animals (Cattle, goats and sheep) are used as mainly a food and as a cash source in many of the households. The staple food is milk and meat. The major challenges of this community are lack of water, lack of health facilities, shortage of educational materials, lack of poor or existing school buildings, low level agricultural production and poor livestock keeping. The water used for domestic consumption is not clean. Poor health services results in high child and maternal mortality rates. Our first visit was to see some of the Maasai leaders and their herd of camels….yes, camels. I have to say when I came over the crest of the...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jul 7, 2015 | Blog
One of my favourite things about being the Ambassador for Goodwill Industries of Alberta is all the magical finds at their retail stores. Recently I was captivated by Nicole Kennedy’s vintage candles…and upon further discussion with Nicole, found out that she re-purposes tea cups into beautiful candles…and most of these treasures are found at her local Goodwill store! With every cup she purchases, she provides funds to help Albertan’s with disabilities…and provides a beautiful tea cup candle to be purchased for someone’s home! A win / win for all ! So I asked Nicole to do a “guest blog” now and then, describing her finds and showcasing her beautiful Vintage Candles! Nicole Kennedy for Aubrey & Brechan Pretty Little Vintage Candles I’ve always been a fan of all things pretty, vintage, and unique. I refer to my many fab finds as my treasures. Some big, some small, some cheap (some not), but all of them special. I like to think about their history, what home they lived in, what conversations were had holding them, and the joy when they were originally purchased. One of my many treasures are teacups. They bring back memories of being a child sitting around my grandmother’s kitchen table. The comfort of that nook in my mind oozes in warmth. I have many teacups, most are not passed on generation to generation, but rather found sitting lonely on a thrift store shelf. No partners in patterns, or fancy store lighting – just a lonely little dusty teacup and saucer. I give this new friend a thorough one over and run my finger along the delicate...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 25, 2015 | Blog
As I write this I am on my way home from Tanzania and our incredible trip to climb Kilimanjaro to help raise awareness for kids that are forced into dirty and degrading jobs and not allowed any sort of childhood. There is something magical about Africa that I just can’t explain. I fell in love with the people, the landscape and that mountain, Kilimanjaro! The trip was life-changing, I left a small piece of my heart there and hope that I can over these next 8 blogs share with you our experience through videos, photos and words. Thanks for following and stay tuned for our 8 days of Kiliclimb4kids! “We are all better than we know if only we can be brought to realize this. We may never again be prepared to settle for anything less.” You can view a map of our climb via this link – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids To Donate To Our Kili Climb 4 Kids Text CLIMB to 45678 Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil Columbia Gear @columbia1983 @moutainhardwear And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 21, 2015 | Blog
So in a few hours at midnite Sunday night we begin our ascent to the summit of Kilimanjaro for the kids. It’s a 7 hour climb in the dark with a total of 4250 ft gain in elevation to summit at sunrise and will feel incredible after 6 hard long days! It will always amaze me how much we have inside ourselves, so much more than we realize. Heart, drive, spirit, and courage. The other amazing thing has been watching 12 people come together, that had never met and become a team that’s sole purpose is to be a voice for children and hopefully prevent them from being sold or forced into dirty degrading jobs. It’s a good world. My next post will be after we descend from the summit of Kili- so until then… Kili4kids! “We are all better than we know if only we can be brought to realize this. We may never again be prepared to settle for anything less.” You can also follow us on our climb starting June 16th via this GPS map – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil Columbia Gear @columbia1983 @moutainhardwear And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 20, 2015 | Blog
We just finished day 4 and made it up to 15, 239 feet up to Lava Tower which was blown out of the top of the Kiki volcano! Day 4 is considered the toughest day other than summit night. I’m so very happy to see our entire group push through! All in good spirits! There were some issues with breathing, some nausea and headaches, but we are strong and I think all of us will summit! The best motivation was the World Vision project visit we did the day before the climb. Seeing what the money we raise does and how it can change Many lives for many children so they are not forced into child labour or sold. You can also follow us on our climb starting June 16th via this GPS map – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil Columbia Gear @columbia1983 @moutainhardwear And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 15, 2015 | Blog
Incredible visit today at a World Vision village of the Maasai Tribe. This will motivate me to make it to the top of Kili! Our climb begins tomorrow!! You can also follow us on our climb starting June 16th via this GPS map – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil Columbia Gear @columbia1983 @moutainhardwear And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 11, 2015 | Blog
You can also follow us on our climb starting June 16th via this GPS map – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil Columbia Gear @columbia1983 @moutainhardwear And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie Clarke @OutThereCalgary @JC_Climbs ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 9, 2015 | Blog
On June 16th I will begin an incredible journey to climb 19,500 feet to the top of Africa’s tallest mountain – Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – to make a difference Summiting Kilimanjaro will take every ounce of the determination I had at the Vancouver Olympic games, but it will all be worth it knowing that we will be helping girls escape slavery and exploitation. Follow my journey to the top of Kili via this blog! Just subscribe via email on my site and you will receive update notices as we climb! You can also follow us on our climb starting June 16th via this GPS map – https://share.delorme.com/Kili4KidsClimb Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | May 28, 2015 | Blog
On June 16th I will begin an incredible journey to climb 19,500 feet to the top of Africa’s tallest mountain – Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – to make a difference. The vision for this climb is to help end girls living in crisis –which includes both child labor and trafficking in all its forms. Summiting Kilimanjaro will take every ounce of the determination I had at the Vancouver Olympic games, but it will all be worth it knowing that we will be helping girls escape slavery and exploitation. Follow my journey to the top of Kili via this blog – check back often as I will post every few days starting June 16th, 2015! Global TV – Kili Climb 4 Kids http://globalnews.ca/video/2021716/olympic-curler-cheryl-bernard-climbs-kilimanjaro-for-kids Hashtag to follow our journey on social media: #kiliclimb4kids Follow me on twitter @TeamBernard Link to Donate To Our Climb http://www.worldvision.ca/getinvolved/team-world-vision/Pages/Kili-Climb-for-Kids.aspx Thank you to our sponsors: SoLo Bars (nutrition partner) @SoLo_energybar GoodLife (training partner) @GoodLifeFitness Kenya Airways (travel partner) Charity Challenge (tour partner) @CharityChallCA Heartland Printing and Graphics (printing partner) Sierra Sil (muscle partner) @SierraSil And a special thanks to Out There Adventure Calgary and Jamie...
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 30, 2015 | Blog
As we get closer to our June 16th climb date, and the media increases, I have been asked numerous questions about Kilimanjaro. I have done my homework. Kili is Africa’s tallest mountain. Temperatures range from 25C at the bottom to -20C at the top. On the climb to the top you travel through 5 major ecological zones, Bush land, Rain Forest, Heath, Alpine Desert and Arctic (yikes!). Eventually the question comes around to, “Why are you climbing Kilimanjaro?” So then I talk about helping raise awareness and money to fight child slavery, hand in hand with World Vision. That by doing this climb we can prevent a little girl from being forced into marriage or a little boy from being trafficked into dirty and degrading jobs. We can make a difference. As I answer these questions, I then begin to think more about what makes a person take on these types of challenges. Personally, I have always been that way…I love the exhilaration of pushing myself, testing my limits, discovering what I am made of. That was one of my fascinations with competitive sport…you learn a lot about yourself under pressure when you are trying to perform. And I think the same goes with what I learn when I take on a new challenge. I learn how I react under pressure when I am exhausted. I learn what my triggers are when I don’t think I can go any further, what makes me find that upper gear? I learn how to deal with other people around me, whom are all reacting to their pressures in their own unique way....
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 26, 2015 | Blog
At times, life gets so busy that we place a low priority on looking after ourselves. We’re too busy running around taking care of work, family, friends…and a whole bevy of other commitments. Over the years though, I’ve come to learn that taking care of my health is the best investment I could ever make. Author Joyce Meyer writes, “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” I agree wholeheartedly. We want to be our best selves for those around us, so we can contribute the best we have to offer. My curling career was a very physical one, so taking care of my health was always crucial to ensuring I could continue doing what I love. And now that my professional curling days are over, I find it more important than ever to seek every opportunity to stay healthy and fit. Now that I’m not training six days a week for curling, I have more time to seek out other physical challenges…to follow other passions. Without good health and fitness, there is no way I would be able to continue doing this. In June last year, I competed in the Scotiabank Marathon in Calgary, raising funds and awareness for World Vision. Due to not wanting to risk a knee injury while curling, I hadn’t run for about 15 years. At the age of 47, it was the first marathon I had ever run in my life! The preparation was a new challenge for me, but after a 20 week training program, I’m proud to say that I ran...
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 8, 2015 | Blog
At the age of 23, Cheryl Bernard started an insurance brokerage and propelled the agency to six million dollars in sales in just eleven years. At the age of 43, she helped Canada win a silver medal in curling at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Passionate about inspiring others to reach their goals and stressing the importance of great leadership and teamwork, Cheryl’s presentations draw from both her business and sport experiences to motivate audiences to achieve greatness in everything they do. In this post below, Cheryl reflects on the parallels between sport and business, and how teamwork plays an important part of everything you do. Read...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jun 7, 2014 | Blog
I have always had dreams and set goals in my life. I had dreamt half my life about competing at an Olympics, representing my country and winning a medal. So it was pretty incredible when that dream became reality. I think in the beginning we all pursue our dreams for the end goal, the win, the personal best or the medal. But our 2010 Olympic run in Vancouver taught me to pursue my dreams for the journey and not the end goal. And the day we stood on the podium to receive our silver medals the realization hit me, this had never been about the medal – it had been about the journey. It had been about recognizing those moments along the way… that are life altering. And although there was no podium finish for me in the Scotiabank Marathon, there were some great moments on the way to that finish line. The day before I was to run my very first marathon, I met a girl that gave me some amazing advice – advice that didn’t sink in until my race began. She said “Run the first 1/3 of the race with your body, the second 1/3 of the race with your heart and the last 1/3 with your mind.” The vibe and the excitement of the day carries you through the first 30 km. That was the body part. The one thing I told everyone was that I don’t think I could ever have just run this marathon for myself, I had to run for something more important, more meaningful than my personal best time. So I...
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 21, 2014 | Blog
I have come to love some strange things in my time training for this Scotiabank Marathon. Ice baths, IT stretches & Rolling, Sierra Sil joint formula, A day of rest, Yoga and my Massage Therapist, to name a few. Ice baths. They have been a necessary evil which I have added in after my weekly long runs….and it is without a doubt the most painful thing I do in preparation for this marathon. I don’t have anything good to say about them, other than they are horrid. I have however come up with a strategic way to enter an ice bath. For a while I tried filling the tub, and then I would take almost 20 minutes to sit in that freezing cold water. Now I get into the tub when it is empty – with my cup of tea (or maybe red wine) and I run the water until my legs are covered – it seems slightly more tolerable. Well, only slightly. It is during these ice baths – with my legs bright red and my teeth chattering that I really wonder what possessed me to run this marathon. But Oh the joy when its over! I’ve read it works….and I am making sure I pull out all the stops to avoid injury. And as everyone keeps telling me….”The hardest part of a marathon is making it to the start line injury free!” I have always known that I have IT bands…but they have made their presence acutely known this past month. The outside of my knees started to hurt on my long runs…and then my legs felt...
by Cheryl Bernard | Feb 28, 2014 | Blog
As I was watching the Sochi Olympics and remembered back to our 2010 Olympic run and the lessons we had applied to manage the stress of playing for Canada, in Canada at one of our biggest Olympics ever. I will never forget our sports psychologist, Penny Werthner telling us, “You have no hope at these Olympics if you can’t manage your stress, recovery time and maintain a healthy perspective.” As my marathon training progresses, I have been having some doubts about making it across that finish line in June. Life has been busy and am having a hard time fitting the training days in and then on top of that running in the cold and wind in Calgary has not been fun or very “confidence building!” So the Olympics got me thinking. Why not apply my curling training to my marathon training? These were the four items I focused on leading up to, and during those 2010 games. Be strict with your training routines, on and off the ice. Meditate and breath, before, during and after games. Maintain a healthy perspective, this is sport, something we love. Don’t make it more than that. We have a choice as to how we are going to react to the situations that arise in sport and life. In 2010 our curling team walked onto the Olympic stage with no prior World experience. I won’t kid you it was tough and stressful. However, I attribute our success during those Olympics to all the work we did under Penny’s guidance in the years leading up to, and during those 2010 Olympic games. Mental preparation...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jan 23, 2014 | Blog
Happy New Year! This is the year I will run my first marathon at 47 years of age and I am so proud that I can do it for World Vision, in Calgary at The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon on June 1st. And I was delighted to be asked to sit as the Honorary Chair for this Golden Anniversary event on June 1st, 2014. It is my hope to motivate more people to not only run, but run for a charity they support. “Go Big or Go Home” is our motto for this journey to the finish line of the Calgary Scotiabank Marathon, but truly I had no idea what “big” meant! It means running and running and running. I know, obvious right? But when Alicia and I conjured up this plan – it seemed pretty do-able, in November, in Ottawa, with no snow. But then back home in Calgary the snow began to fall and it hasn’t stopped since then! And I had given little thought to the difficulties of running on ice, snow and in wind and sleet. It’s just not nice! I did however head to San Diego with my family for 2 weeks at Christmas and that was where I started to get back into running. And I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself down there. I ran some easy 3 mile runs, then a couple 6-7 mile runs. I had very little stiffness and my cardio, was really quite good! Then I returned to Calgary. To the snow, the ice and cold. I spent more time the first week back shovelling our...
by Cheryl Bernard | Dec 13, 2013 | Blog
Well its been a month since Alicia Pereira (Celebrity Ambassador Program Manage for World Vision) and I came up with the crazy idea to run the June 1st, Scotiabank Marathon in Calgary! And I have spent the month researching marathon training programs, looking at GPS watches, studying up on different style of runners and slogging thru pages of nutritional guides. I have discovered Goodlife and their amazing Iphone app (love apps) with all their group exercise schedules. I have traded emails with Dr Peter Nieman begging for help. I have inundated friends of mine that run for any “special tips’ they can give me and have even read Dean Karnazes – 50 Marathons in 50 days! (that might not have been my best move). I am a planner…..but seems I have scared the hell out of myself before I have even begun to train! But I do feel I have a plan now…albeit maybe not concrete…something I can fit into my crazy travel and speaking schedule staring in 2014. So the plan….. Well I must admit, I haven’t run yet – honestly, I can barely dig my truck out of the garage…and its also -25, so running outdoors isn’t on the top of my list. But in my defense, I have trained 6 days a week for pretty much the last 6-7 years…so I think even though I haven’t run in over 10 years…it will be like…well, riding a bike! There was lots of comments for and against weight training during your 20 week marathon training program – but everyone pretty much said do your weights on your short...
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 18, 2011 | Between The Sheets
To our Coach, Dennis Balderston. Thank you for missing so many important family events for the team. Thank you to your family for letting us have so much of you all these years. Thank you for tapping us on the shoulder at the Patch to remind us it was ‘time to go”. Thank you for reminding us of our three F’s! Fun, Focus and Finish! Thank you for always finding new ways to challenge us. Thank you for being the ‘master scheduler’ for our team. Thank you for keeping Cathy O away from Carolyn (and the rest of the team) when she was wanting to have some fun! Thank you for being Cori’s fellow Roughrider fan! Thank you for providing years of entertainment whenever you ordered your custom meal at a restaurant. Thank you for going to the team meetings when we all went to bed. Thank you for attending the pro-am in Lethbridge at the Scotties when we were ALL’ under the weather!’ Thank you for eating all the cheesies in our kitchen at the Olympics to save us the extra calories. Thank you for taking on the role of bouncer and bodyguard for Cheryl at the Olympics. Thank you for the hours you spent facing the corner in our co-ed dressing room in Vancouver while we ALL changed – and for not being mad when we sometimes forgot you! Thank you for knowing us well enough to know when we needed it to be just ‘the team.’ Thank your for the millions of hours sitting on a hard cold chair watching us curl – and not always...
by Cheryl Bernard | Apr 4, 2011 | Between The Sheets
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh. I can’t believe it’s been over a year since the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. How time flies! Our entire team has stayed busy with old and new involvements. An as I said in an earlier blog – It is our responsibility to give back. Here are some of the things I support, believe in and give my time to. Get involved! Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada – Most of you know my father passed away from a brain tumour a few years ago. And I am finally able to get involved and help raise awareness as their 2011 Spokesperson. And I am going to run in two of their Spring Sprint events, May 29th in Vancouver and June 12th in Calgary. So once the snow leaves the city of Calgary, I am going to dust off my dog, Hugo and both of us are going to start running again! This year there are 21 Spring Sprint events in eight provinces across Canada, each event is driven by volunteers. The goal this year is to raise $1.5 million for education, information, and support for the estimated 55,000 Canadians affected by brain tumours. Donations also fund research into the cause and better treatments for brain tumours. Visit www.springsprint.ca. READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Mar 7, 2011 | Between The Sheets
There is a time of year in all sports when team break ups, line up changes and player movement begins.And as the Scott Tournament of Hearts came to a close last weekend – that time began for women’s curling (the men are delayed by a couple weeks). And with those team changes come disappointment for some and excitement for others. I don’t think anyone has perfected team break ups, and I am not sure there is any sure fire way to “do it right”. But I will say our 2010 Olympic Silver medal team handled our dissolution the best way we knew how. That doesn’t speak as much for the ‘how” we did it but more to the “who” did it and the class and maturity of each of the team members. But I will first address: Why did our team, after so much success, chose to go our own ways? READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Feb 21, 2011 | Between The Sheets
My talented author and friend Guy Scholz wrote this blog about the release of our new book. Enjoy! Between the Sheets: The Silver Lining “Between the Sheets is really a life-skills book using curling as the primary metaphor.” – George Karrys, owner/publisher, The Curling News and 1988 Olympic silver medalist Last December I had this feeling come over me that I better keep a journal close to the TV, keep the printer ink up for my computer, sharpen my exacto-knife for news stories, and start recording my impressions, observations, quotes, etc from Team Bernard as they started securing the top seed at the Olympic Trials in Edmonton. I never told Cheryl I was doing this. I didn’t want to jinx ‘em. Then when they went to Vancouver to win their silver medal I kept the journal jottings up. A few weeks after the Olympics, Cheryl called and said we should do an updated version of Between the Sheets: The Silver Lining. READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Feb 7, 2011 | Between The Sheets
I look back at the last 3 weeks… wow. We were part of an amazing team at the Continental Cup, then a mad dash to the TSN Skins Game in Casino Rama and a one day turn around and a 2 hour drive to Camrose for the Alberta Provincial Scotties (those results we might like to forget). The Skins Game was amazing. The venue – who would have ever thought we would be curling in a Casino? TSN and the Casino treated us like Rock Stars and we came within millimeters of winning the battle of the sexes. Some thought a women’s team shouldn’t compete in the men’s event… and honestly I wasn’t so sure either… but I think we held our own and had the Old Bear a wee bit nervous to say the least. READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jan 24, 2011 | Between The Sheets
I cheered for Erika Brown from the US, I high fived with Jennifer Jones, I strategized with Rick Lang, and I swept with Ben Hebert (ok…maybe that’s a stretch). And when it was all said and done, our 26 member, North American team pulled off a huge win at the 2011 Continental Cup of Curling! Fun? Unbelievably so! Exhausting? Oh yeah…the days were long and for some, the nights even longer. And that is why, this blog will be short. There are not a lot of first after you have played this game for 30 plus years. But the Continental Cup was one of them and I am so glad I had the opportunity. Being the newbies, Team Bernard had no idea what to expect. Coach’s Rick Lang and Neil Harrison began the week with a great pep talk, followed by Kevin Martin who imparted his past experience regarding this event. And that was all we needed! READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jan 10, 2011 | Between The Sheets
I must admit our team has had some odd requests since our win last Feb 2010, but I do think this one topped them all! I received and email from Dominic Giammarinaro who is the organizer of the San Diego Chargers Tailgaters. The group consists of roughly 40 or so people who tailgate prior to each of the Chargers games. Dominic said the December 12th was their final tailgater of 2010 and since Terry and I would be in San Diego, would we be interested in being celebrity judges for their final cook-off. READ...
by Cheryl Bernard | Dec 27, 2010 | Between The Sheets
And I live in Calgary….why? As I sit down to write this blog its about -14 in Calgary and snowing… pretty, but cold! Terry and I just arrived back from a fabulous five days in San Diego where we played a couple rounds of golf, judged a cook-off at a San Diego Chargers tailgate party (my next blog) and attended the final play-off night for the Curl San Diego league! How you ask? Well, I received and email from Marychello (Maria) Brown about 2 months back, she had heard we were going to be in San Diego and invited Terry and I to drop by their Fall League Final. So we agreed to come and hand out their year end trophies as well as bring the medal and do some photos with everyone. READ...
