Episode 56 - Pat Sanders

Pat Sanders was always determined to knock over obstacles.  Still a knee slider when starting university, she changed her delivery and fought to make the school team, later moving from toe slide to flat foot to improve even further.  Reaching the womens ranks, she by-passed the pecking order of positions and skipped at an age most would have started at lead.  In 1985 she won a Canadian mixed as third for Steve Skillings and then led her rink of Louise Herlinveaux, Georgina Hawkes and Deb Massullo to a Canadian and World Championship in 1987.  As Team Canada the following season, their toxic chemistry put them under the eye of the Canadian Curling Association.  Despite a black cloud over the squad, they lost the 1988 Scotties final on last rock.  Pat and Georgina then joined with lead Melissa Soligo and young phenom Julie Sutton as skip. By the late stages of the 1989 Scotties however, Julie had been demoted and Pat skipped the team to a tie-breaker where they lost to Saskatchewan.  Pat shares her thoughts on that era and the renewed joy for curling she found years later competing in Seniors and Masters.