Newfoundland curler recalls Olympic win in Turin
February 25, 2010 9:00 AM
On Friday February 19, Olympic curling gold medalist Mike Adam visited students at Frank H. MacDonald Elementary School in Sutherland’s River, a rural school located approximately 30 minutes from Antigonish.
Adam won gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. His team was the first Canadian men’s team to win a gold medal for curling. Along with his teammates, Adam was the first person from Newfoundland and Labrador to ever win a gold medal at the Olympics.
A native of Labrador, he is now manager of John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow. Adam explains that the team decided to go for gold from the beginning.
“It was after we won the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 2001 when we really got together as a team, and we decided to figure out what we wanted to do. We wanted to win a Briar and an Olympic gold medal.”
“No team from Newfoundland and Labrador had ever won before, or in men’s curling in Canada. So we got a lot of weird looks from people [when they committed to winning a medal]. But we contacted coaches, sports psychologists, etcetera, to make ourselves as good as we can be,” he explains.
At the elementary school, Adam gave students an address about determination.
“When speaking to the younger ones in school, I always tell them to ‘believe in yourself.’ People will doubt you, but if you listen to them, then all of a sudden you’re not going to reach your goals. You can’t always listen to others, it’s up to yourself.”
Watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics, he explains that his relives his personal Olympic experience each time he sees Team Canada perform.
“While we were there, the greatest memories came from off the ice. The first day we moved into the Olympic village, we were awestruck at how big it was, how much was in there. It was a small city built in corner of a city. All around were different athletes from different countries speaking different languages. It was pretty neat,” says Adam.
He remembers that all athletes from Team Canada quickly formed a supportive community.
“It didn’t matter what sport was playing, everybody came out for Team Canada. If we weren’t playing, we were cheering for others. Every venue had Canadian athletes watching, and when anyone won a medal, there were congratulations from everyone.”
Since returning to Canada, Adam experienced a whirlwind of support and accolades.
Adam and his teammates were awarded honorary doctorates from Memorial University where they originally attended and formed their team as students. They also received the Order of Newfoundland.
He reveals with a laugh that “streets, highways, and buildings were named after us.” But perhaps his most vivid Olympic experience was standing at the podium as the national anthem played.
“Standing on the podium, seeing the Canadian flag rise, it’s the pinnacle of what you can do in your sport. Standing with best friends, seeing your friends and family watch you, it all kind of came back to us, and all the time we put into it.”
“It was all worthwhile when we look back on it. We set out and did what we accomplished to do six years earlier. The more time goes on, the more ridiculous it really was.”
