Hanlon curling team among N.B. Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Provincial curling icon Heidi Hanlon and her three teammates will be inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame this May, along with six other people of different sports backgrounds.
Hanlon, whose 30-year career includes provincial, national and world titles, said the honour announced Thursday is what anyone who seriously participates in a sport would want.
"We know it's difficult to get into the Sports Hall of Fame," she said. "And for us to still be competing and to get nominated for the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame is a dream come true."
Growing popularity of sport
Hanlon said she started curling in Grade 7 in her hometown of McAdam.
The sport was not popular with youth back then but has since developed a strong following, and not just in New Brunswick. There are now professional curlers worldwide, many coached by Canadians, she said.
"Now that it's in the Olympics, so many countries are curling," she said.
Having won several provincial titles that enabled her team to compete in the Scotties Tournament of the Hearts, Team Hanlon has kept curling one of the highlights of New Brunswick sports, she said. But it was not always easy.
The Saint John team, which includes Kathy Floyd, Jane Arsenau and Judy Blanchard, had to fight hard to keep winning and competition was fierce, she said.
"After we don the first few provincials, you are the team to beat," she said. "That kept us going. We knew everybody was going to keep us on our toes."
2017 inductees
The other inductees for the annual Sports Hall of Fame members are:
- Kimberly Adams-Tattrie of Tide Head, the first New Brunswicker to win a professional golf tournament at the Futures Tour in Lakeland, Fla., and one of the most decorated golfers in Canada.
- Brian and Henry Flood of Renforth, a lightweight pair in rowing in the early 1980s, who won several gold, silver and bronze medals in both American and Canadian national championships.
- Paula Keating of Miramichi, a marathon runner who holds numerous provincial records provincially and internationally.
- The late Ernest Quigley of Miramichi, whose career spanned 50 years, including coaching, umpiring and refereeing in disciplines such as baseball, basketball and football. He refereed the first ever Olympic basketball game at the 1936 Berlin Games.
- Jeffrey Scholten of Fredericton, who set two world speedskating records and has represented New Brunswick and Canada nationally and internationally.
The new members will join the hall at an official induction ceremony in Quispamsis on May 27, increasing the total number of honourees to 257.
"We are incredibly proud to announce the Class of 2017, who showcase the talent our province has to offer," Clem Tremblay, chair of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame board of governors, said in a news release.
