Karen is not only an exceptional Client Services Business Manager – she is also a champion curler!
Karen and her curling team recently competed in New Zealand to become the 2024 Women’s National Champions at the Australian Curling Nationals. The team has now qualified for the Pan Continental Curling Championships later this year in Canada.
Coming from a country with a warm climate, you might be wondering “What is curling?”
Curling is a winter sport in which teams of four players slide granite “rocks” down a sheet of ice, towards a target area called the “house”. Two sweepers with brushes or brooms sweep the ice ahead of the sliding stone to help control its speed and direction. Each team has eight stones, and each player throws two stones. Points are scored for the stones resting closest to the “house” after each end. It’s a game of precision and accuracy – kind of like lawn bowls on ice.
Karen has curled competitively since childhood and explains why she chose the sport.
“Curling is an inclusive sport that can be easily adapted for people of all abilities. There are wheelchair curlers, vision impaired curlers, curlers with limited mobility using sticks, and it welcomes people of all ages,” said Karen.
“I used to volunteer for Blind Curling back in Canada. This is where I first became interested in working with people with vision loss.”
Karen is a qualified Occupational Therapist and has been working with VisAbility for 11 years. Starting part-time from our Mandurah office, Karen moved into the regional services team, before transitioning into management roles. Karen is one of those valuable team members whose passion and talent make a positive difference in the lives of clients and staff alike.
Karen, we’re delighted that curling brought you to us and continues to bring you success and joy on the ice. Good luck in Canada – we’ll all be cheering for you!
Thank you to Curling Australia for the competition images.
