INNISFAIL – Lowell Peterman will have a double celebration in 2022.
The daughter of the icemaker and manager of the Innisfail Curling Club is getting married in June but before that she has some serious business to take care of in China.
Jocelyn Peterman, a Canadian champion curler, is heading to the Beijing Olympic Winter Games in February.
And its doubly good for the whole family as her fiancé and mixed doubles curling partner Brett Gallant will be playing there as well.
Jocelyn, 28, was the second for Team Jennifer Jones that won the Olympic trials women’s final in Saskatoon late last month while Gallant, the second for Team Brad Gushue, claimed the men’s title.
And dad and soon-to-be father-in law Lowell was in Saskatoon to be part of the celebration.
“It’s pretty exciting that they both won. That made it doubly special. We were cheering for his team too, so we watched a total of 19 or 20 games during the week,” said Lowell, noting the high drama of the women’s final.
“It was an exciting game but a little nerve-wracking especially when they didn’t make their shot in the 10th end to win, which I thought was a relatively easy shot by their standards but they won it in the extra end so it was pretty exciting.”
Nevertheless, the victory by Team Jennifer Jones ensured a trip to Beijing for his daughter. It was made even more special as Jocelyn is the only player on the five-member team who has never made it to the world’s greatest sporting show, although she came close twice.
“They were so elated to get there with Jocelyn,” said Lowell, noting the Beijing Winter Olympics is also Brett’s first Big Show appearance.
Jocelyn was a member of the Team Carey that had a strong run at the 2017 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, going undefeated until losing to the Rachel Homan rink in the final. During the same event Team Brad Gushue lost in the semifinal. Peterman and Gallant, two-time Canadian champions in mixed doubles competition, played together in the 2018 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials, going undefeated in group play, but lost in the semifinal.
The only sad note for Lowell and his family is that he won’t be able to go to Beijing to watch Jocelyn and Brett play for gold. He noted China is not allowing foreign fans to attend due to strict COVID guidelines, adding it’s now probably too late to make travel arrangements.
But Lowell will be cheering loud and hard at home in Red Deer and at work in Innisfail, as he’s proud of both of their accomplishments.
“They have been training hard for four years for this.”
