NEARLY INDESCRIBABLE
R achel Homan laughs at the question and then pauses to think about how she’d put the last couple of years of her curling career into words. After a beat, the three-time Canadian champion and two-time Olympian decides she can’t, really, and that’s more than fair. Just look at the headlines alone: Homan made the 2021 Scotties final and competed while eight months pregnant with her second child — a girl named Bowyn — and promptly returned to the ice to compete in a Grand Slam of Curling event just weeks after she gave birth. In January, the skip was hand-picked to compete in her second Olympics, in a bubble, where she and John Morris came a fraction of an inch from qualifying Canada for the mixed doubles playoffs. Dramatic, gruelling stuff.
That’s hardly it, either. These days, change is afoot for Homan: Her team — third Emma Miskew, second Sarah Wilkes and lead Joanne Courtney — have just one event remaining as a foursome. After this season, Courtney is stepping away from the competitive game. Joining Team Homan will be none other than the world’s second-ranked skip, Tracy Fleury, who lost in the Olympic Trials final to Jennifer Jones earlier this year.
Ahead of curling’s season finale — the Grand Slam of Curling’s Champions Cup, which runs from May 3-8 in Olds, Alta. — Sportsnet caught up with Homan to talk about the roster change, what it’s like to be called “Superwoman” by her competitors, how she dealt with coming back from the Olympics empty-handed, her competitive fire, and her dismal golf game.
SPORTSNET: This is your final event, maybe ever, with Joanne as your lead. What are the emotions like?
HOMAN: Oh, we’re just pretending like it’s not going to happen [laughs]. I think that’s where we’re at.
Good approach. What will you miss about her?
Everything, really. She’s a great teammate and super fun to have around, on and off the ice. She works harder than anybody I know. I mean, I’m still going to be able to practise here and there with her. It’s still going to be great.
The addition of Tracy is huge. What excites you most about having her on the team next season?
She brings so much knowledge and experience. I think her IQ and knowledge of the game, and her shot-making ability, it’s second to none. She’ll just bring so much to our team. We’re thrilled to have her on board.
You’re a skip. She’s a skip. Who’s going to play skip?
We’re going to figure it out. I think we’ll try a couple different lineups and see what works. I think we’re all open to different possibilities. It’s something we’re looking forward to. It’ll be a fun change for next season for sure.
This season you were hand-picked to represent Canada in your second Olympics. What was it like getting that call from Curling Canada? [Editor’s note: Due to the pandemic, Canada’s mixed doubles curling trials were cancelled, and the country’s federation chose its representatives instead. They announced the decision on Jan. 13, and selected Homan and Morris.]
It was obviously an honour to get that phone call. But in the same breath, I knew what that meant for my team and that I wouldn’t be able to play with them at the [2022] Scotties. And because of Curling Ontario’s decision, we didn’t even know if we were going to be able to play at all because they said if I wasn’t a part of the team, they weren’t going to recognize us as a team. That was definitely a lot of stress on everybody involved and it’s obviously not what I want to create for any of my friends and teammates. [Editor’s note: The federation did eventually allow Homan’s team to compete without her. Miskew played skip.] But yeah, it was a great opportunity and I was so humbled to be recognized as the Olympic team for Canada.
Just as an observer, I felt like I was waiting a long time for the selection to be announced. Did it feel that way for you, too?
Yeah, for sure. It was definitely a difficult situation. I don’t think anybody could’ve drawn it up. Nobody, obviously, was prepared for a situation like that in a pandemic.
Did you have enough time to feel prepared at the Olympics?
Ah, no. I wouldn’t say that anyone would say two weeks is enough time to prepare for the Olympics. Obviously we’d been training all year and that, but most of the other mixed doubles teams were solely looking at mixed doubles — not all the teams, obviously. It was definitely different training than the other teams and a different situation, but I mean I think Canada did what we had to do given the circumstance. I’m proud of our efforts for everything that was involved.
You’d competed four years earlier in your first Olympics. How did this bubbled-up experience compare?
We weren’t able to go anywhere, see anyone, have any family or friends there, so that’s definitely a different experience. We focused on our games. It definitely felt more isolated than any event I’d been in. But it was a great experience nonetheless.
For you personally, what was it like being away from your kids, and in particular, Bowyn who was just under a year old?
It was tough. I think it’s really hard emotionally to be gone for that long, especially when she’s so young, you feel like you’re kind of abandoning them. But I knew they had lots of support at home, and you just kind of have to put it in the back of your mind and put your job and the game that you love No. 1. You know that at home they’re taken care of. There was an important job to do and we gave it our all.
It didn’t end the way you wanted. How did you handle the emotions that came with that?
It definitely took some time. It was really challenging. Especially since you’re in isolation for months and then still in isolation when you get home. It was very challenging to feel like you let somebody down.
Who did you feel you let down?
I think you feel it from everybody, not necessarily that people are disappointed, but that’s just how you feel, I guess — the highs and lows of the Olympics and coming back from that is definitely challenging. I think whether you bring back a medal or not it’s something that’s pretty challenging to go through.
Your social media posts were really powerful, describing you felt you were in the “deepest black hole.” Why did you decide to share how you were feeling?
I’m normally a pretty private person but I figured I’m probably not the only one feeling like this and if it helps somebody else, then, kind of, I owe it to them to share. I got lots of responses back and lots of support but also some messages of other people going through this experience and just talking about their own experience. Not necessarily even specific athletes, but other situations that people have gone through. It was healthy to talk to others, and I think it helped me just talking about those kinds of things. I think it was necessary and hopefully I helped a few people in doing that. I think it’s something that should be talked about and shouldn’t be swept under the rug because it can be pretty emotional. I have even talked to a few Olympians that did win a medal and you know they still went through those emotions, the highs and then coming back to the daily grind and things like that. It can be really challenging.
You kept curling even while you were eight months pregnant. Had you ever seen anyone else at the elite level curl that pregnant?
I’d seen some people who were pregnant and curling. I’d seen a couple pregnant women trying to curl at the Scotties. It’s definitely a challenge. I think it’s different for everybody. I just kind of took it for what it was for myself and made sure I listened to my body and made sure I was able to compete and I wasn’t hurting myself. It’s a crazy experience to look back on and to realize what you did after the fact [laughs], but in the moment it just feels like you’re trying to win the next game like usual, and getting enough physio to make sure you haven’t pushed yourself too far.
Was that Scotties final a game you thought your team would be playing in?
I guess it’s not something you’d think of in advance [laughs], under that circumstance. I was hoping I’d be able to play but I wasn’t sure. It was great to be able to play and to be able to compete. Wish we could have won that game…
I don’t know how many eight-months-pregnant women would expect to win nationals. And you were back on the ice three weeks after you gave birth to Bowyn?
I think it was two weeks.
Rachel. How?
[Laughs.] I think because I had curled so late in pregnancy and the birth went really well — it was quick, and I had no issues at all. I was definitely a little bit nervous my first slide but it all felt pretty normal. I took it slow and it didn’t feel too different, honestly. It was much easier to slide after having the baby, but it was challenging to kind of walk after the baby was born. It was easier to be on the ice actually, curling. Your hips are kind of not in the right place after curling with all the weight [while pregnant]. So it was a bit sore to walk after and things like that, but physio helped with kind of realigning everything and we had a great team there in the bubble in Calgary. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to be ready without them. Not having that extra weight on your pelvis and things like that, it was definitely easier to slide. But then I didn’t think about the lack of sleep. It was a lot more difficult to curl on no sleep and trying to breastfeed in between games and time it properly, because she was feeding every hour and a half. That’s just how my kids fed — I know everyone’s different. But they eat a lot, so… [laughs].
That’s exhausting even just to think about. And how about injuries after you came back? I know that’s common for athletes after they give birth.
I definitely had some injuries and have had to recover from them, really, over the past year. I have really good support, and a really good trainer, and was able to get back. I feel like I don’t have any more nagging injuries, which is nice. It definitely takes a full year [after giving birth], just some tweaks and small tears here and there, from that extra elasticity in your joints that you’re not used to and with the added weight and even after pregnancy, carrying your baby with the extra Relaxin [a hormone women produce during and after pregnancy] is definitely challenging on the joints and tiring. But I mean everyone does it, right?
Well, maybe not two weeks after giving birth…
[Laughs.] But we’re not different than anyone else. I think that’s a huge challenge for women in general is trying to get back to a normal life and people think a few weeks later you should be back to it, but it’s a lot of work and a lot of pressure on the body. Not everyone has access to recovery and physio like we do, so I think we’re extra lucky and able to do a little bit more maybe than someone who wouldn’t have those resources, because they’d just get hurt, right? You really have to take it slower than you think. It’s surprising, I find, as an athlete, you think you can just push and push and do more, but at a certain point you do have to take some time for yourself and recover. It’s a big thing. It takes nine months to grow and stretch and house a little baby and then it probably takes the same amount of time, right, to get back to where you were. So it’s a long process and you’ve got to take care of another little one, not just yourself.
What was it like having your fellow competitors and teammates calling you “Wonder Woman” and “Superwoman” after seeing you come back to the ice so fast?
I guess you never really feel like you’re doing anything special [laughs]. I think it’s just always awesome when women try to lift up other women and empower others. It’s really special, I think, in that way just in general when women acknowledge other women doing well at the different things that people take on in their life. It was special in that way for me.
Are you still teaching?
I was just on mat leave, but yeah I will be getting back into that soon. My degree is in high school, but I’ve done everything from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
What type of teacher are you? Super strict? Or are you forgiving if kids miss their due dates?
I think there’s no one-size-fits-all. Kids, you can’t put them in boxes. I think every kid needs something different and I think every kid needs boundaries and every kid needs some grace and forgiveness. It really depends on the situation and depends on what’s going on, not just in the school but in their lives as well. I think my style is a little bit of everything.
Your season’s almost over. Do you play other sports in the off-season?
Not really. Just golf for fun.
How good are you at golf?
Extremely below average.
Do you fire below 100?
God no.
Wow, I’m surprised you play. I picture you being too competitive to not be getting at least a few birdies.
[Laughs.] It’s just something I go out and do for fun. I think I would need to take a few lessons before I could even attempt to write down a score. I started late in life. I’m not out golfing once a week, that’s for sure.
If someone was running a celebrity tournament and wanted you to play, would you?
I would play but I don’t know if anyone would want to be on my team. I’d give you some laughs, that’s about it. I could make a couple putts and I can drive — once in a while.
You’ve accomplished so much – not in golf, in curling. What are your goals going forward in the seasons ahead?
I’d like to win nationals and get back to worlds, and hopefully in four years be back at the Olympics. Obviously, those things are far away. Right now, I’m focused on family and getting back to where I want to be.