SASKATOON -- Longtime curler Diane Cohoon remembers both how humble Sandra Schmirler was - and how she dominated the rink.
"We never had a hope of beating that team, but she was a pleasure to curl with."
Schmirler picked up many victories and accolades during her career, including the gold medal for Canada in the 1998 Olympics. .
Schmirler died March 2, 2000 from cancer at the age of 36, news that shook much of the curling community.
"I was shocked. I hadn’t realized that she wasn’t well. It was like a candle going out," Cohoon said.
Don Greer has been coaching curling since his daughter was six and says Schmirler inspired them both.
He bought one of the last signed copies of Schmirler’s book to give to his daughter, a book she still has.
Greer is excited that Canada's men's and women's curling teams will be playing for the same prize money at the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts and thinks Schmirler would have been thrilled with the decision.
"I think we can attribute it back to people like Sandra, and Sandra in particular," Greer said.
Schmirler’s legacy lives on through the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, which raises money for newborns in intensive care units.
