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Elkford woman wins national curling award

Terry Vandale hailed as a champion of curling; credited with making the sport more accessible
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Terry Vandale has received a national curling award. Submitted

An Elkford woman who has made the sport of curling more accessible has received national recognition.

Terry Vandale played a significant role in the amalgamation of the B.C. Ladies Curling Association with two regional men’s associations to form what is now Curl BC.

With Curl BC, she championed both wheelchair curling and the use of delivery sticks to open doors to more curlers.

Vandale also raised awareness of mobility issues in curling centres, prompting many facilities to upgrade their buildings to include elevators, ramps and accessible washrooms.

She has contributed to curling in B.C. as a coach, administrator, board member and as chair of Curl BC, all the while dealing with the effects of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.

Vandale has been named this year’s recipient of the Ray Kingsmith Award by Curling Canada.

“It’s a big honour to be nominated for an award like this and it’s an even bigger honour to win it,” she said.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to volunteer with the curling community in B.C. The sport has given me so much and I enjoy giving back.”

The accolade was named for Ray Kingsmith, a tireless volunteer who played a leading role in bringing curling to the Winter Olympics.

Vandale was not the only British Columbian honoured by Curling Canada.

The organizers of the Pacific International Cup, an annual championship for club teams held in Richmond, also received the Award of Achievement.

Curl BC CEO Scott Braley said it was great to see B.C. volunteers recognized.

“We have a tremendous number of wonderful volunteers in B.C.,” he said. “I am always impressed with the calibre of people who are willing to dedicate so much time to our sport.”

Curl BC is calling for nominations for its annual awards, which recognize individuals, teams and businesses for their contribution to the sport.

The deadline for submissions is March 30, visit Curlbc.ca/recognition/curl-bc-annual-awards for more information.