Her Name Is Sara

The 21st Sandra Schmirler Telethon is underway in Kamloops, B.C. It’s one of the opening weekend highlights of the national women’s curling championship, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Volunteers from across Canada work the phones, and TSN host commentators make the plea for donations from curling fans.

Sara England of Regina is there, as usual, answering phones. She’s a regular at the telethon, and is involved with the parent charity, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.

In some years, TSN features her during the telethon. Sometimes her younger sister Jenna stands with her on camera.

But this year is different.

Today’s telethon takes place almost exactly 25 years since Sara and Jenna’s mother, Sandra Schmirler, won Olympic gold with her teammates at the Winter Games in Nagano and hurriedly flew back to Regina to defend their title at the Scotties.

This is also Sara’s month in the 2023 Curling Cares Fundraising Calendar. England appears as Ms. February, in a field of Saskatchewan wheat at dusk, in a striking image taken by Regina Leader-Post photographer Troy Fleece.

And she’s wearing her mother’s Olympic gold medal.

“I’ve heard that an Olympic medal is meant to be shared,” said England. “I wasn’t sure about wearing it, but if anyone gets to wear it, it’s me.”

Sara, now 25, was two when her mother died of cancer. Her sister was just eight months old.

As Sara has patiently told the media, year after year, she doesn’t have many direct memories of her mother. But curling still flows in her blood; she’s captured four provincial championships and is the marketing manager for the provincial association, CURLSASK.

Her stunning appearance in the calendar just might be a chance for her to throw a spotlight on her own identity, even as she celebrates her mom’s crowning achievement from 25 years ago.

Sara’s decision to release her main calendar image to the public comes near the end of the calendar’s annual fundraising campaign.

“I’ve brought the last of my calendars here to the Scotties,” Sara said. “I’m hoping to sell them out.

“I hear online sales went pretty well. If people want to buy one they’re still available at the Curling Cares website. Or they can just donate to the Foundation, of course.”

Three other athletes who appear in the 2023 Curling Cares calendar selected the Sandra Schmirler Foundation as their charity of record: Rylan and Madison Kleiter of Saskatchewan (January), and German men’s skip Sixten Totzek (March).