Hurry Hard: World Champion curler Tracy Fleury visits MacLeod Public School

Two-time world champion Tracy Fleury visited MacLeod Public School on January 15, 2026 to give Kindergarten students a lesson in curling.

Tracy Fleury has been preparing to represent Team Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy next month.

A decorated athlete with over three decades of experience in curling, Fleury joined Team Homan in the 2022-23 season alongside Emma Miskew, Sarah Wilkes and Rachel Homan.

Team Homan was a dominant force – winning 142 games and garnering back-to-back national and world titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. They were also noted as the first Canadian women’s foursome to win two straight world championship gold medals since the 1993-94 season.

“My daughter is a Kindergarten student here at MacLeod,” said Tracy Fleury. “Having also attended the school as a child, it felt like a natural fit for a visit to teach students the fundamentals of curling.”

She added: “I started curling when I was five years old, and I know many children do not know much about the sport. This was a wonderful opportunity to introduce curling to them, and, who knows, maybe some students will find a passion to pursue it in the future like I did.”

For the lesson, students, many of whom were dressed in red and white as a nod to Team Canada, gathered in the gym in classes. Tracy began by explaining key concepts of the sport including the house/scoring circles, how to properly slide a stone/rock, and when it’s important to sweep the broom.

Students also learned some of the terminology used in a game including “hurry hard” and “sweep”, and they practised the terms collectively before taking turns sliding the coloured stones.

“Curling offers many benefits for children such as partnership and collaboration,” said Tracy Fleury. “As a team sport, it’s a great way to make friends, stay active, and develop a sense of community.”

Kindergarten student Brooks Franceschini loved his curling experience. “The best part is throwing the rocks into circles,” he said. “I want to get it right in the middle.”

Faith Grandmaison enjoyed time spent with her peers. “The rocks are pretty colours and my friends are here too. I am having fun.”

“This is my best gym time,” said Matthew Fitzpatrick. “Can we do it again tomorrow?”

When it comes to preparing for the Olympics, Team Homan has been very active. “It’s been a really busy season with many competitions,” said Tracy Fleury. “It’s difficult to come together with our team members living in four different cities across the country. In fact, we are meeting in Edmonton to train before going to Italy to acclimate and prepare mentally for the journey ahead.”

“We are very grateful to Tracy Fleury for taking some time away from training to teach our youngest learners the ins and outs of curling,” said Principal Kerri Monaghan. “On behalf of MacLeod Public School, we wish Tracy and Team Homan best of luck at the Winter Olympics. Go Team Canada!”

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171 ext. 7217.