Calgary, February 20, 2021 - Even before the global pandemic hit, curler Chelsea Carey had already planned a year off. As a new free agent without a team there was no schedule or competition to plan for, and a nagging knee injury was ever present. The decision to step back was clear and final.

Still, as she stared down the abyss of an empty season, the two-time Scotties champion skip knew it could be a tough year.

When COVID-19 began circling the globe and mass lockdowns followed, CSI Calgary charted a new course, planning protocols and adapting training groups so that athletes could safely resume training. Along the way, they ended up with a random assortment of athletes from different sports who didn’t have anyone to train with, so they created a new cohort that could train together. This is where Carey found her team.

It was an eclectic mix of athletes from alpine skiing, fencing, water polo, basketball and curling. CSI Calgary Strength and Conditioning Lead, Jeremiah Barnert, who trained the group, says the idea was borne out of the need to continue providing services that the athletes rely on to achieve peak performance.

“We were trying to find creative ways to support athletes during the pandemic,” he explains. “This cohort came together because they were all on their own and needed our help.”

The first step for Carey was addressing a long-standing overuse injury in her knee that she couldn’t resolve as competitive seasons grew ever longer. “We started by working on musculoskeletal issues,” says Barnert. “But we had to be creative with home-based workouts and even with the in-person workouts. I was prescribing workouts using soup cans and milk jugs,” he laughs.

Teaming up with Barnert gave Carey the one-on-one attention she needed to finally put the work in to recover. “It’s not quite where I want it to be, but we’ve made progress,” she says. “It’s still tough though, I had to be patient, which is something I’m not very good at.”

What Barnert observed goes deeper. “For Chelsea what has been really good is the consistency in working to rehab her knee injuries,” he says. “It’s been a blessing for her, and she’s taken more ownership to address these issues. The team environment really helped her, too.”

That team environment emerged after the group met for training and began to bond. It became a safe harbour where they could work towards their own goals together, in an ever-changing pandemic world that kept closing in.

“It kept us sane just being able to train and have a group of friends,” says Carey. “Getting together for workouts was also the only social interaction we had.” In some ways, it’s been a silver lining, finding this team, this year.

So, when Carey got the unexpected call to join Manitoba’s Team Fleury at the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts to fill in for skip Tracy Fleury, who is home caring for her daughter, she felt as prepared as she possibly could be.

In a year that was supposed to be lost, Carey has another shot, an opportunity she’s excited about but nervous, too. “Everyone is coming in a bit rusty,” she says. “The pandemic levels the playing field somewhat, but it’s still nerve-wracking knowing the preparation on ice hasn’t been there.”

Just before the second major lockdown in Alberta came in mid-December, and the mismatched team knew they wouldn’t be able to train together for a while, they took a group photo: a true team of misfits who came together and found what they needed to get through a tough year. No doubt a time that will be looked back on with fondness as they eventually make their way back to normal.

Carey sums it up, “It’s been a bizarre year, but it’s been fun.”

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts kicked off last night at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Winsport and runs until Sunday, February 28th. For complete information on the event, visit https://www.curling.ca/2021scotties/

To learn more about the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary, visit www.csialberta.ca

Written by: Kristina Groves

Photo by: Alanna Goldie

In the photo from left to right: Kelleigh Ryan (Fencing), Jeremiah Barnert (CSI Calgary), Chelsea Carey (Curling), Jordan Jensen-Whyte (Basketball), Alanna Goldie (Fencing), Kyle Landry (Basketball), and Gaelan Patterson (Waterpolo).

Media Contact

Annie Gagnon

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary

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With the intention of studying to becoming a school teacher, Ryan Schroffel couldn’t deny being pulled towards a career that’s so deeply rooted in his blood: coaching. His grandfather was a football coach and his mom was a school teacher, so the innate characteristic of teaching lead him to become a coach.

While attending and playing tennis at University of Alberta, Ryan volunteered at his local tennis club whenever they were in need of a kid’s coach. The more he coached and got involved, the more he considered coaching as a career and that’s when opportunities started to present themselves.

His favorite part about coaching is understanding the impact he as a coach can make on an athlete’s life and the role that sports and athletics plays in their life as a junior or adult. “Whether it’s the athlete’s day-to-day, stress management or self-esteem tool, or you as a coach are trying to push and encourage an athlete to do something that they never believed they could” says Ryan about his impact as a coach.

Ryan was first introduced to the ACD after a friend spoke so highly of the program. “For me personally and professionally, it was the most valuable course I have taken throughout my coaching career”, expresses Ryan. “The ability to engage with other coaches across different sports and have conversations that are different than you’ve have with your fellow colleagues and your ability to engage with the experts was very valuable.”

It’s often easy for coaches to stay within the lane of their own sports in terms of coach education, however Ryan encourages coaches from all ends of the sport spectrum to enroll in this program full of experts. “I believe it’s really suited for any coach in a leadership position or a coach who has spent time in the industry because they can bring their experience and apply it throughout the course”. He credits his mentor, coach Claudio __ for his ability to push him along the way, continue to ask him questions and brainstorm on different ways of doing things within sport.

Ryan hopes to maintain the connection and relationships he developed throughout the program and take the knowledge gained throughout the course to some new projects and see where those opportunities take him next.

CALGARY (January 12th, 2021) – Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (CSHoF) has partnered with Aspen Properties and Canadian Sport Institute Calgary (CSI) in order to bring the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection into the community. The amazing art collection will be prominently displayed at Sun Life Plaza in Downtown Calgary (112 4th Ave. S.W., Calgary, AB T2P 3N3), from January 12, 2021 until December 31, 2021.

“On behalf of Aspen Properties, I would like to express our gratitude and excitement in this culture-rich partnership with CSHOF and CSI,” said R. Scott Hutcheson, Executive Chair of the Board, Aspen Properties. “More than ever in these challenging times, we believe the community needs to experience and celebrate Canada’s world-class athletes, and our exceptional artistic and creative culture.”

The Canadian Sport Heroes Collection is a series of 16 large-scale acrylic portraits by Alberta artist Gordon Milne celebrating the achievements of remarkable Canadian Olympians, including Mark Tewksbury, Catriona Le May Doan & Diane Jones-Konihowski.

“What an incredible experience for me to meet and paint these outstanding Canadian Olympians,” said Gordon Milne. “Not only was I given the opportunity to pursue my passion for sport and athletics as an artist, but l learned first-hand about the dedication, endurance and commitment that it takes to become a high-performance athlete. I'm very honoured that the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection will be prominently displayed at Sun Life Plaza”

“We are thrilled to be able to showcase the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection at Sun Life Plaza" said Gary Davies, President/CEO of Canadian Sport Institute Calgary. "This will provide an opportunity for many more Calgarians to see these great works of art, especially as we head into an Olympic year.”

“Even though our physical museum remains closed due to Covid-19 the team at CSHoF has found new and innovative ways to bring Canadians together through community exhibits that will continue to educate on the values, history and culture of sport in this country; building Canada through sport,” said Cheryl Bernard, President and CEO, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

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ABOUT CANADA'S SPORTS HALL OF FAME Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is a registered charitable organization and has been a vital cultural institution in Canada for the past 65 years. As Canada’s only national museum of sport, the organization’s focus is on recognition, education, curation, and thought leadership with an emphasis on educating youth on the values, history and culture of sport in this country. These four pillars help to support and celebrate Canada’s sport heroes who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and are going “beyond the win” and making monumental contributions to our society. Over 684 Hall of Famers have been inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame since its establishment in 1955, and as of 2019, the Order of Sport, Canada’s highest sporting honour, is awarded as part of Induction to Canada’s top athletes and builders for their ongoing role in building Canada through sport.

Charitable Registration Number 118828631 RR0001

For further information or to schedule an interview with Cheryl Bernard, President and CEO, please contact:

Vanessa Puckzo Media Relations & Event Assistant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 403.776.1040

Alexx Diep was enjoying his time as a lifeguard when he was approached by his colleague about making the switch from guarding poolside to coaching poolside as a local collegiate team needed a coach. Although Alexx says in high school he never saw himself becoming a coach, his background in swimming made him an excellent candidate to transition into a coach and 22 years later, it has evolved into a great career.

The impact coaches can have on any level of swimmer is one of Alexx’s favorite parts about being a coach. He also enjoys the cultural aspect of sport and how it allows him to travel the world and experience different social circles. “I love the social and cultural aspect of coaching and all the traveling that comes with it. I’m fortunate to be able to bring my family along with me on numerous training camps and competitions so it turns into a family affair.”

After enrolling in the Advanced Coaching Diploma, Alexx knew he was in the right place as he was surrounded by many like-minded coaches. “There were many times at the beginning of the programs that I realized a lot of my peers had the same mindset as me and thought the same way in terms of progressing as a coach and how much they care for their athletes.”

This program was a great reminder for him that his techniques as a coach were valued, but just needed some fine tuning. He was able take the content that was taught over the two-year program and tweak it to apply it in a new way to his own coaching style. He says it was a reminder that I have been doing the right thing throughout my years of coaching, I just needed more structure and depth of knowledge.

Alexx also credits the structure of the program and how it is perfectly suited for those who must balance a full-time job, a family and life outside of sport. “This program is designed to engage coaches who have families and full-time coaching positions to be able to still learn and not fall behind on school or life. The way it’s set up is perfect.”

The program was carefully crafted for instructors and experts to moderate the classes and tune into each individual coach’s needs and their availability to tend to the needs or questions of the coaches was incredible. “The mantra of expert lead and coach driven are lived through the program and it’s exactly what I needed.”

Alexx cherished the program so much that he now feels a void in his life as he graduated from the Advanced Coaching Diploma. His goals are to pursue grad school and continue learning about teaching. He specifically wants to target Generation Alpha and learn how they learn best so he can incorporate that into coaching the younger generation and continue making an impact on his athletes of all ages.