Cheryl Bernard

Cheryl Bernard was born on June 30, 1966, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and began her curling career at the age of eight. Her early successes included winning provincial titles, leading to appearances at the Tournament of Hearts in 1992 and 1996. After finishing second at the latter, Bernard dedicated a decade to building her insurance brokerage, which she started at 23, into a multi-million dollar enterprise. During this time, she maintained her competitive curling, becoming the Canadian Women’s Curling Tour champion in 2004 and reaching the Players’ Championships final in 2006. This period demonstrated her ability to balance elite athletic pursuits with significant business achievements.

Bernard’s career highlight occurred at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, where she skipped her team to a silver medal. Her team secured their Olympic spot by winning the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. Following her Olympic success, Bernard continued to compete, winning the 2010 Players’ Championships, her first Grand Slam title. She officially retired from competitive curling in June 2014, concluding a distinguished playing career marked by four Alberta provincial championships and a significant Olympic achievement. She subsequently transitioned into broadcasting, serving as a curling analyst for TSN from 2014 to 2022.

Beyond her curling and broadcasting career, Bernard has taken on leadership roles, becoming the President and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and co-chair of the 2024 Special Olympics. She also serves as a board member for Tourism Calgary and an ambassador for organizations such as Goodwill Industries of Alberta and Special Olympics Canada. Bernard co-authored “Between the Sheets: Creating Curling Champions” in 2005, later updated to “Between the Sheets: The Silver Lining” in 2011, focusing on the mental aspects of curling. She is also a keynote speaker, sharing lessons from her experiences in sport and business.