She’s back. And she wants in.
Briane Harris threw curling stones this week.
For the first time in almost a year.
She’s back.
And she wants in.
“I would love to be back at the Scotties,” Harris said. “I have been waiting for this for so long.
“I’ve done everything I had to do to prepare even though it’s been super hard … in those dark days where I still pushed myself—to work out, and be prepared, to watch the games on TV, and try to keep thinking about curling.
“So I’ve put in all the work to be back at any time. I wanted to do that because I didn’t want to look back and regret not (preparing), in case (news) came that I was able to play.”
The news came last Tuesday morning. Harris, the longtime lead for Team Kerri Einarson, has been cleared of a now-notorious doping infraction in a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling.
She was on the ice that very day—for the first time in 11 months—at the Petersfield Curling Club, a facility “just five minutes from my house, not even,” Harris told me.
“I’ve been hoping to go on the ice every day since I heard the news. I knew what I was capable of but I also needed to see it for myself.
“It was really nice to get on the ice, and it felt way more natural than what I was expecting. That was a really great feeling. It was just nice to be out there doing what I love, when I was held back from it for so long.”
Despite her lengthy provisional suspension, despite her roller-coaster mental health ride, despite being almost six months pregnant ... Harris nailed that first practice session.
“I was trying not to overdo it, because I don’t need an injury now,” Harris said. “But I was feeling good about weight, I had good feel. Even sweeping didn’t hurt or feel weird, which I thought was interesting.
“It just felt really good to be able to do it again. Free to do what I love.”
Harris was told not to train on ice during her provisional suspension.
“I thought that was weird,” she said. “You couldn’t stop someone from skating on an outdoor rink, or playing basketball at the park, or swimming in a pool, right? It just seemed weird that I wouldn’t be allowed to (practice curling) on my own.
“So I never did, just to be safe.”
Colton Lott’s father, Dale Lott, is the ice technician at Petersfield. Harris appreciates the special sheets of ice the elder Lott crafted for her this week.
“He’s been amazing,” she said. “He’s done that for me on short notice.”
Harris also appreciates her Einarson teammates, who are into the quarterfinals at the Masters Grand Slam in Guelph (Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET). The team statement on Harris’ day of vindication made it clear that an important team meeting was in the cards for next week.
The squad—which recently added yet another player to their ranks—has a berth in the Tournament of Hearts, Canada’s women’s championship, Feb. 14-23 at Thunder Bay, Ont.
They’ve won four of the past five tournaments, finally losing in last season’s playoff round.
“I feel really good and I think I could (compete) if I was given the chance,” Harris said. “But it’s ultimately what’s best for the team and what they think is best going forward.
“If I had an opportunity to be part of the team again for this year, I would totally take it and I would be very excited … and over the moon. But yeah, we have to have some conversations when they get back from the Slam and figure out what’s best going forward.”
I pointed out that Harris is a part of the team. Or, back on the team.
I think.
We both laughed.
“Yeah, it’s weird,” Harris confirmed.
“It was weird, thinking ‘I’m on the team but I’m not’ … it was a weird position to be in … it’s so weird,” Harris laughed again.
“Even now. I love seeing them do well and I want them to be successful, and it was nice seeing them play well despite the challenges they had to overcome, seeing all the players they had to use.
“But it was tough for me to watch, just because it was sort of shoved in my face that I wasn’t there. If you’re not able to play for reasons outside your control, it’s really difficult.”
Perhaps, in the end, the long, drawn-out story will conclude as a study in perseverance, for all involved.
“I thought it was great how they persevered and how they did really well with every player they brought on,” Harris said.
“It’s not easy, but they just kept chugging along.
“They’re probably better off for it. They’d probably say they’ve grown a lot as players, and people as well.”