Gold for Team Sagert at Manitoba Winter Games

2018/03/12Local Interest


Submitted photo: Manitoba Winter Games Gold Medal Winners!
Presley Sagert, Skip; Madison Sagert, Lead; Bryn Zamzow, Second; Eden Betcher, Third

ValleyBiz Story| The Manitoba Winter Games took place March 4-10, 2018 in Thompson, MB and several athletes from the Swan Valley made the trip to compete in the province’s largest ongoing multi-sport program. The Manitoba Games follows the olympic cycle, taking place every two years and alternating between winter and summer events. “It was an amazing experience.” said Team Sagert “It felt like a mini-Olympics and everyone was so friendly!”

The Manitoba Winter Games is an opportunity for athletes between the ages of 10 and 18 to compete against some of the best young athletes in the province. “The Manitoba Games continue to inspire our young athletes and create our next generation of national, international, and Olympic champions.” said Jeff Hnatiuk, President and CEO, Sport Manitoba.

When it came time for their event, Team Sagert delivered. “We played rock for rock and end for end and never let our guard down. Playing all the best teams in Manitoba made us stay focused on each game. We communicated well as a team and made our shots. We remained positive when we were down. Our Coach, Kelly Tibble, kept reminding us to play our game and not get caught up in their (our opponents) game.” said Team Sagert.


Heading into the competition, Team Sagert had one goal in mind – bringing back a medal from the Winter Games.

The team went undefeated throughout the games and won the best technical (draw to the button) points. Ultimately, they realized their goal by winning Gold in the U15 Female Curling event.

“Our most memorable moment was when they placed the gold medal around our neck, while we were standing on the top of the podium!” said Team Sagert.

In addition to competing in their own sport, the team also had an opportunity to watch some of the other sports and enjoy the entertainment. The team commented that the team made lots of new friends and made special mention of how much all the athletes in the village looked forward to the chocolate chip cookie handed out at the end of each day. Special touches like this by the host community help create memories that will last a lifetime.