Sandra Schmirler

Sandra Marie Schmirler (June 11, 1963 – March 2, 2000) was a Canadian curler who captured three Canadian Curling Championships (Scott Tournament of Hearts) and three World Curling Championships.

Schmirler threw fourth stones for a team which consisted of 1979 Canadian Junior Champions Denise Wilson (skip), Dianne Choquette and Shannon Olafson.

The team represented the University of Saskatchewan at the Saskatoon city playdowns where they were eliminated.

After graduating university, Schmirler moved to Regina to take a job at the North West Leisure Centre.

She continued to curl, and was given the nickname "Schmirler the Curler" by a supervisor at the facility.

Schmirler joined the Saskatoon-based Carol Davis rink, playing third for the team.

She continued to curl after graduating from high school, while attending the University of Saskatchewan, making her first appearance in Saskatchewan's provincial playdowns in 1983.

In their first season together, they made it to the 1984 provincial finals where they lost to Lori McGeary.

In 1987, as a member of Kathy Fahlman's rink, Schmirler won her first provincial championship, sending her to her first national championship, where she and her team finished in fourth place with a 7–5 win–loss record.

The following season, the team lost in the A-B final of the 1988 provincials to Michelle Schneider (now Englot), eliminating them from a chance at a second straight trip to the Hearts.

Prior to the 1988–89 curling season, Schmirler and Jan Betker found themselves curling with different teammates, attempting to put together a stable squad.

In the 1989 playdowns, Team Fahlman lost in the southern Saskatchewan playdowns, failing to even make it to the 1989 Saskatchewan Scott Tournament of Hearts.

After a disappointing season, Schmirler decided to skip for the 1990–91 season, with Betker playing third.

They recruited Joan Inglis (McCusker) to play second, and McCusker recommended Marcia Gudereit as a lead.

This rink won the provincials in their first year together, defeating Kim Armbruster (Hodson) in the Saskatchewan final, 5–3.

At the 1991 Scott Tournament of Hearts, the team finished in fourth place.

In 1993, the Schmirler rink again won the provincial title, defeating Sherry Scheirich (Middaugh) in the final, 7–2.

Representing Saskatchewan at the 1993 Scott Tournament of Hearts, her rink defeated Maureen Bonar in the finals, giving Saskatchewan its first national women's curling championship since Marj Mitchell's win in 1980.

The rink moved on to the World Championship and defeated Janet Clews-Strayer from Germany in the final that year, winning Canada its sixth world women's title.

The next season, she and her rink competed at the Tournament of Hearts as defending champions.

The team finished first in the round robin, and defeated Connie Laliberte in the final to clinch a second consecutive Canadian championship.

She and her team then represented Canada at the World Women's Curling Championship, where they finished first in the round robin.

She then advanced to the playoffs, and won the semifinal against Josefine Einsle of Germany and the final against Christine Cannon of Scotland.

With her win in the final, she and her team clinched their second world championships, equalling their run from the previous season.

At the time, no other Canadian women's rink had won consecutive world championships.

Schmirler returned to the Tournament of Hearts the next year as the defending champion.

She and her team finished with an 8–3 win–loss record and advanced to the playoffs as the second seed.

She lost her next two games, however, and failed to advance to the final, losing a chance to win a third consecutive title.

The next season, Schmirler added Renelle Bryden to the lineup, as McCusker took the year off.

Schmirler also skipped (captained) her Canadian team to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, the first year women's curling was a medal sport.

At tournaments where she was not competing, Schmirler sometimes worked as a commentator for CBC Sports, which popularized her nickname "Schmirler the Curler" and claimed she was the only person who had a name that rhymed with the sport she played.

She died in 2000 at 36 of cancer, leaving a legacy that extended outside of curling.

Schmirler was honoured posthumously with an induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and was awarded the World Curling Freytag Award, which later led to her induction into the World Curling Federation Hall of Fame.

In 2019, Schmirler was named the second greatest Canadian female curler in history (after Jennifer Jones) in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.

Schmirler's Olympic team which also included Jan Betker, Joan McCusker and Marcia Gudereit was named the greatest female Canadian curling team of all time as part of the same poll.

While attending Biggar Composite School in Biggar, Saskatchewan, Canada, Schmirler started curling in Grade 7 as part of the school's physical education program.

She grew up an athlete, playing volleyball, badminton, and softball.

She was also an avid speed swimmer.

She continued to curl on the local scene, participating in the Biggar Curling Club ladies' league in Grade 9.

Playing as third on her high school team, she won a provincial championship in Grade 12, when her team went undefeated throughout the season.