WCURL - Athlete Spotlight: Mya Smith

About a month ago, the women's curling team won the OUA Championships and qualified for the U Sports Championships in New Brunswick. Blind River native Mya Smith, who is in her fourth year in the SPAD program with a minor in Marketing, plays a very important role on the varsity curling team. Smith is the second player to throw in the lineup, while also helping out her teammates with sweeping.

Like most varsity athletes, Smith began playing curling at a very young age. "My dad introduced me to the sport. At the age of five, he put me in the little rockers program which teaches children how to curl. Even though I was about the same height as a rock, you couldn't get me off the ice," she said. It is clear that curling became not only an activity but a passion for Smith.

Curling can be known for its frustrating moments and the many different skills and competencies that go into the sport. For Mya, curling has taught her several things, with the most important one being communication. "Each game is at least 2 hours long but can span 3 hours. It is a long time to be under pressure, so being able to be patient and take it one rock at a time has always kept me focused," she commented. Many successful athletes will gain leadership skills throughout their athletic careers, and this is no different for Smith. "This sport has also taught me leadership skills that I now find myself using in my academics and career," she said.

While playing competitive curling, there are many hours spent traveling for matches and tournaments, which is a challenge for Smith. "In curling, Ontario is split into two provinces because of how large the province is. This means that for some competitions we were traveling over four hours. It creates a challenge to stay involved in the sport when there is so much traveling, especially being young" she mentioned. However, this did not stop her from participating in the sport, which is clearly rewarding for her to this day.

Laurentian has always been known to have a sense of community, especially regarding athletics. "The best part of competing for the Voyageurs is that it is close to home," she said. As she grew up about two hours from Sudbury, Smith still gets to compete in Northern Ontario, like when she was young. "I also get to play with people who I am very close with, my teammates are what makes competing as a Voyageur the most rewarding," she said.

As mentioned previously, Smith's greatest accomplishment was winning the OUA Championships in Guelph. This allows her and her teammates to compete at the U Sports Championships in the next few days. Since it is her last year at Laurentian, Smith is hoping for a successful national championship run, which could end in a ticket to Italy for the World Championships next year.

The level of motivation from an athlete can easily determine their success. Smith's level of motivation is extremely high, which is no surprise. "My motivation for me when practicing my sport is my family and friends, they are the most supportive people I have ever met," she mentioned. Due to high levels of motivation, athletes can achieve their lifelong dreams. For Mya, her dream is to participate in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. "When I'm stressed out, too tired, or just not in the right mindset to be at practice, I always remember my family, friends, especially my dad who has always encouraged me to keep trucking on," she said.

In her closing remarks, Smith mentioned she has been a competitive curler since she was seven years old. "My dad was my coach up until my last year of U18, so for my curling career, he has always been the person I look up to," she commented. Lastly, her present teammates, Bella and Piper Croisier were always the competition when Smith was younger. "Now we are able to compete with each other and experience these wins as teammates instead of competition," she said.

-Madison Boileau