March 15, 2019 - TCO

National champion curlers prepare at Training HAUS ahead of World Women’s Curling Championship

Before taking their game global for a shot at gold, members of USA Curling’s Team Sinclair trained all season locally at Training HAUS, right next door to Twin Cities Orthopedics Eagan – Viking Lakes. Team Sinclair will wear the red, white and blue of Team USA at the World Women’s Curling Championship beginning Saturday in Silkeborg, Denmark. The nine-day, round-robin tournament concludes March 24.

The team, which comprises skip Jamie Sinclair, lead Monica Walker, twin sisters Sarah and Taylor Anderson and alternate Vicky Persinger, have spent the season working out at Training HAUS, Powered by TCO. TCO is the Official Sports Medicine Provider of USA Curling.

How to watch

First up for Team USA at the World Championship is a game against host nation Denmark at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Keep this schedule close so you don’t miss a moment of Team Sinclair in action during the World Championship. All of their games will be televised on NBCSN or the Olympic Channel.

Follow along with Team Sinclair on Instagram and Twitter. Or, listen to their team playlist on Spotify.

Training

Preparing for any competition, especially one as big as the World Championship, involves careful and detailed planning – from nutrition, rest and recovery to building muscle in the offseason and maintaining fitness in-season. Team Sinclair has worked with Training HAUS athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach Mike Gulenchyn, LAT/CSCS, to ensure they’re at their best for the biggest moments.

Gulenchyn and HAUS pros determine what type of overall training is beneficial for the 44 athletes who make up USA Curling’s junior and senior teams. Injuries – previous and current – as well as where the athletes are in the scope of a season are taken into consideration.

“We break it down in different aspects and have a full suite of offerings for USA Curling to utilize at our facility for training sessions,” Gulenchyn said.

“We’ve been in the gym a lot and practicing a lot,” Taylor Anderson said. “This (competing in the World Championship) has been our goal all season, so we’re still working just as hard as we worked for nationals.”

Beyond curling

Competing as Team USA in the World Championship isn’t lost on Team Sinclair. They know it means being part of a larger group of athletes who represent their country – so it’s more than just curling.

“It’s a great experience to represent USA,” Sarah Anderson said. “It’s like a huge family. You feel so proud to represent your country at another level and country.”

“It’s a huge honor to be a part of Team USA,” Walker said. “We have a huge amount of respect for the whole process that it takes to be an athlete; it’s a lifestyle for us. It’s not always about the curling; it’s about competing and performance and doing our best for our country.”

“I think there’s a little more of a switch that happens as soon as you put on the USA jersey,” Sinclair said. “You get that pride, and you just feel blessed to have the opportunity to represent your country on the highest stage. At that point, you’re not only targeting curling fans. It does go beyond that. The general public, if they get an opportunity to watch it on TV, they get to see that these are the best players in the country. It helps grow the sport from there, and it’s something that’s unreal to be a part of.”