Who says curling isn’t sexy? Canadian skipper Cheryl Bernard silently begs to differ

Given the history of this site I’m sure most of you were expecting racy bikini photos of some 22-year-old Swedish girl with a chauvinistic intro like: “It’s not often us men get to be attracted to a woman sweeping without feeling guilty, but thanks to the Winter Olympics and the great sport of curling we have that freedom – if only for a brief moment.” For fans of the “low road” your journey stops here. Actually it stops HERE, which is a link to the Anna Arce “Fire On Ice” nude women of curling calendar! (NSFW-ish of course)

The real hottie of these Olympic Games is the 43-year-old black pants and zip-up longsleeve team jacket wearing insurance broker and step-mother of two, Canadian Cheryl Bernard! No, she doesn’t have a racy calendar (Grrrrr!), but that hasn’t stopped the mere rumor of the existence of a swimsuit photo from sparking enough google searches to crack the Top 20 Google trends many times over the last week or so. From Yahoo! Sports:

Bernard is the Canadian curling cougar. Sarah Palin on ice (bipartisan division). The Chicago Tribune has dubbed her a “sex symbol.” The Globe and Mail said she should co-star on “Cougar Town” with Courteney Cox. ESPN’s Bill Simmons went for the term “Curlgar.”

Cheryl was born in Alberta, Canada to curling parents, making her debut on the rink when she was eight years old and weighed about as much as a curling stone. She continued to compete in the sport through her teens, but by the time the Calgary Winter Olympics came around in 1988 the 21-year-old was pursuing interests off the ice, which included her own insurance company.

Photo: ZumaPress

Bernard wasn’t completely deaf to the call of the ice, though. From The Record:

“There was 10 years there from 23 to when I was 33 that I, of course, stayed in curling and focused on it but I was very focused on the business that I had,” she says.

“It was really not until after that that I sold the business and put my mind to what my goal was going to be and gave it the energy and the effort that I think you need to.”

Like golf, curling is in large part a mental game, and in 2005 she teamed up with journalist Guy Scholz to write the book Between the Sheets: Creating Curling Champions, which focuses on those mental aspects of the game and life that often are the difference between success and failure.

Somewhat of a darkhorse entering the Canadian Olympic trials in December, Cheryl’s mental toughness and hard work seemed to pay off as she threw clutch shot after clutch shot and shot out of the gates at 6-0. Her ticket to Vancouver was stamped after defeating Kleibrink in the finals.

Photo: ZumaPress

So how is the usually private and reclusive Bernard responding to all the attention? With humble classiness of course! From Yahoo! Sports:

“It’s hard work [staying in shape], so that’s fine for them to notice,” Bernard said. “I think it’s good for the sport, and I think they are noticing it throughout all the players.”

Cheryl Bernard now resides in San Diego with husband Terry Meek and stepsons Evan and Connor. While in sunny California Cheryl likes to spend her spare time golfing, kayaking, sailing and watching Padres baseball games.

I think I’m in love. (C’mon Cheryl – one swimsuit photo couldn’t hurt!)
Until then here are a few shots from the ice, which are the only known photos of Cheryl in existence:

Photo: Larry Wong/Canwest News Service

Photo: Larry Wong/Canwest News Service

Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Here is Cheryl and Team Bernard’s complete curling history from TeamBernard.com:

Cheryl Bernard
Position: Skip
Date of Birth: June 30, 1966
Place of Birth: Grand Prairie
Residence: Calgary Alberta, Canada
Occupation: Insurance
Club: Calgary Curling Club / National Training Center
Coach: Dennis Balderston
Curling Start: 8 yrs old
Family: Common-law – Terry, stepson Connor and Evan

2007- 2008 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel

2008 Alberta Provincial Women’s – Semi Finalist
2008 Strauss Canada Cup – Semi Finalist
2008 Player’s Championships – Semi Finalist
2007 Casinos of Winnipeg – Semi Finalist
2007 Trail Appliances Autum Gold – Qualifier
2007 Canada Cup Qualifier – Champion
2007 Red Deer Community Savings Classic – Quarter Finalist
2007 Vernon Twin Anchors Cash Spiel – Qualifier

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

2006- 2007 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel
Qualified for the 2009 “Sweet Sixteen Pre-Trials”
2007 Alberta Provincial Women’s Champions
2007 Strauss Canada Cup Participant
2006 Player’s Championships – Semi Finalist
2006 Trail Appliances Autum Gold – Semi Finalist
2006 Canada Cup Qualifier
2007 Wayden Classic Abbotsford – Qualifier
Red Deer Community Savings Classic – Semi Finalist
Vernon Twin Anchors Cash Spiel – Semi Finalist

2005- 2006 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel
2006 Player’s Championships – Finalist
3rd place money winner on the 2006 World Curling Tour
2005 Vernon Anchors Presige (Vernon) – Champion
2005 Wayden Transport Classic (Abbotsford)- Qualifier
2005 Community Savings Classic (Red Deer) – Qualifier

2004- 2005 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Jody McNabb,, Karen Ruus
2004 Vernon Anchors Presige (Vernon) – Champion
2004 Trail Appliances Autumn Gold(Calgary) – Runner-up
2004 BDO Classic(Kelowna)- Qualifier
2004 Casinos of Winnipeg Classic(Winnipeg) – Champion
2004 Community Savings Classic (Red Deer) – Qualifier
2004 Canada Cup West Participant
2005 Strauss Canada Cup of Curling Participant
2004 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour Champions

2003- 2004 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Joanne Sipka, Karen Ruus
2003 Parkland Community Savings Classic (Red Deer) – Finalist
2003 National Training Centre Karuizawa Competition(Calgary) – Champion
2003 SaskPower Schmirler Classic(Regina) – Qualifier
2004 Alberta Scott Provincial Playdowns(Calgary) – Fourth place finish
2004 Karuizawa International Bonspiel (Japan) – Gold Medal Winner

Photo: ZumaPress

2002- 2003 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor, Joanne Sipka, Karen Ruus
2002 Husky Autumn Gold (Calgary) – Finalist
2002 Parkland Community Savings Classic (Red Deer) – Finalist
2002 Lethbridge Pot of Gold (Lethbridge) – Finalist
5th place money winner on the 2002 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour

2001- 2002 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Susan Oconnor,Barb Davies, Karen Ruus
2001 Husky Autumn Gold (Calgary) – Finalist
9th place money winner on the 2001 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour

2000- 2001 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Crystal Rumberg
2000 Alberta S.T.O.H Provincial Championships – Finalist
2001 Women’s Tour of Curling Players Event Final (last Olympic Spot) – Finalist

1999- 2000 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Crystal Rumberg
1999 JVC Womens Classic (Winnipeg) – Champion
1999 Schmirler Saskpower Classic (Regina) – Qualifier
1999 Leduc Women’s Cash spiel (Leduc) – Qualifier
1999 JVC/TSN Women’s Skins Game – Finalist
8th place money winner on the 1999 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour

1998-1999 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Crystal Rumberg
1998 Husky Autumn Gold Classic (Calgary) – Semi-finalist
1998 Saskatoon Classic – Finalist
1998 Skyreach Classic /Hunter spiel (Red Deer) – Champion
1998 Edmonton Ladies Cash spiel – Qualifier
2nd place money winner on the 1998 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour

Photo: ZumaPress

1997-1998 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Judy Pendergast
1997 Husky Autumn Gold Classic (Calgary) – Finalist
1997 Edmonton Ladies Cash spiel – Qualifier
1997 Red Deer Ladies Cash – Champion
6th place money winner on the 1997 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour

1996-1997 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Judy Pendergast
1996 Kamploops Ladies Cash spiel – Semi- Finalist
1996 Ottawa Welton Beauchamp – Semi -Finalist
1996 Regina Saskpower Classic – Qualifier
1996 Alberta Women’s Provincial – Champions
1996 Canadian Women’s Scott Tournament of Hearts- Finalist

1995-1996 Team Members
Cheryl Bernard, Karen Ruus,Barb Davies, Judy Pendergast
1995 Alberta Women’s Provincial Championships – Runner up

Photo: ZumaPress

Cheryl Bernard Accomplishments (continued)
2006 (Skip) – Trail Appliances Autumn Gold Grand Slam – Semi Finalist
2006 (Skip) – Canada Cup Qualifier – Semi Finalist
2006 (Skip) – Wayden Transportation – Ladies Classic Abbotsford – Qualifier
2006 (Skip) – Meyers Norris Penny Charity Classic Cash Spiel – Champion
2006 – Community Savings Ladies Cash Spiel – Semi Finalist
2006 – Twin Anchors Houseboats/Prestige Hotels & Resorts – Semi Finalist
2006 (Skip) – Player’s Championship – Finalist
2006 (Third) – Alberta Provincial Mixed Participant
2005(Skip)Vernon Anchors Presige (Vernon) – Champion 2005(Skip)Wayden Transport Classic (Abbotsford)Qualifier 2005 (Skip)Community Savings Classic (Red Deer) – Qualifier
2004 -(Skip) – Canadian Women’s Curling Tour Champions
2004-(Skip) – 2004 Karuizawa International Bonspiel (Japan) Gold Medal Winner
2004 -(Skip) – 2004 Alberta Scott Competitor – 4th place
2000 – (Skip) – Alberta Provincial Women’s- Finalist
1999 – (Skip) – JVC/TSN Skins Game – Finalist
1996 – (Skip) – Alberta Provincial – Champion
1996 – (Skip) – Canadian Scott Tournament of Hearts – Finalist
1995 – (Skip) – Alberta Provincial Women’s – Finalist
1993 – (Third) – Alberta Provincial Mixed – Champion
1992 – (Skip) – Alberta Provincial Women’s – Champion
1988 – (Second) – Alberta Provincial Women’s – Finalist

Top Photo: Ric Ernst / Canwest News Service
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