THUNDER BAY – Jacob Striker didn’t have to look far for support this week at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.
The Alberta curler just turned his head and his grandfather, Don, was usually right there, coaching his team to a gold-medal win over Team Ontario’s Kincardine Thunder, a 7-0 shutout to close out a successful week at the Fort William Curling Club.
“It’s so amazing, it’s great. But he’s definitely tough on me,” said the younger Striker.
His grandfather took over the team at the last minute, after the original coach was diagnosed with breast cancer, jumping up from his role as an assistant.
Being able to get a bird’s-eye view of his Jacob’s gold-medal victory is worth every second of the time he’s dedicated to the Special Olympics cause.
“It’s been really, really good. We started out a little tough, we lost our first two games after the divisioning, and then we’ve won every game after that,” Don Striker said.
“It’s just fortunate. We came across some amazing teams, but a team shout-out to the team we just played, Ontario-Thunder and Team Manitoba.”
The coach said every day of the tournament was a little bit different that the last.
“I told them they should try their best and keep out there. With curling and with Special Olympics athletes we have to focus on one thing at a time. It’s hard to get everything together, but they pulled it all together,” he said.
Jacob Strike said it’s been a great experience in Thunder Bay, though it helped his team came through with the win.
“They were a great team. They made some great shots. It was fun. We just curled hard. We did the best we could,” said the younger Striker, who has been curling for the past six years.
“I think it was just getting to know the ice better over the week, and stuff. That helped us a lot.”
The 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games wrap up on Saturday.
