It was a different kind of gathering inside the Royal Montreal Curling Club on Tuesday: no stones sliding down ice and no sweeping calls echoing across the sheets. Instead, pages were turning, books were being signed, and families were lining up to meet Canadian Olympic medallist Rachel Homan, who has now stepped into a new role—children’s author—marking the next chapter of her career.
Fresh off Milano Cortina 2026, Rachel Homan arrived at the Royal Montreal Curling Club with her medal, but the focus quickly shifted from competition to connection as she signed copies of her new children’s book “Curling ABCs: Slide, Sweep, and Find.”
Born in Ottawa and now based in Beaumont, Alta., Homan is one of Canada’s most accomplished curlers. She is an elite athlete, a mother of three, and a first-time author.
For Homan, the idea behind the book didn’t begin in a boardroom or publishing house, but in the quiet rhythm of bedtime reading with her children.
“It all started from my children reading them books for the last six years every night and there was never anything about curling,” she said. “It’s a big part of my life and they watch it a ton and there isn’t really anything out there to introduce kids or even adults that are getting into the game, reading stories to their children and maybe it’s something that they want to take up with their families. It’s a social sport. You can get involved in many different ways. So that was kind of the beginning of trying to make a cool children’s book about curling.”
That gap became the foundation for a 26-page alphabet book designed to introduce curling through both language and imagination.
“There’s a page for every letter of the alphabet and then I linked up a curling term or word that relates to curling and then it’s defined,” Homan explained. “So you can learn 26 words that relate to curling and then within the pages there’s some fun facts.”
Homan added that it is also a search-and-find experience, with each page featuring hidden images for readers to look for, making it interactive for younger audiences while still educational.
The story combines simple curling language with imaginative scenes of animals playing the game in creative settings—from outer space to professional stadia, and even inside the Royal Montreal Curling Club (RMCC) ice shed, widely recognized as one of the oldest active sports clubs in North America.
That connection to history was something Homan and the club shared early on in the process.
“They were as excited as I was to have the Royal Montreal Curling Club featured in the book as the oldest curling club in Canada. They were really excited and wanted me to come and show me some really old artifacts and a picture of the first women’s curling club. So I’m excited to go see those today and excited to be here and take in the beauty of such an old building, so historic.”
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Seeing it in person added meaning to the visit, bringing the project full circle from idea to reality.
“I’ve never been to this club even though I’ve been to Montreal so many times. So it’s neat to see.”
Homan’s journey in curling began early. She started at age five and was competing by 12, eventually becoming one of the most successful skips in Canadian history.
She has represented Canada at three Olympic Games:
At Milano Cortina, she led Canada’s women’s team — Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, Sarah Wilkes, and alternate Rachelle Brown — to a bronze medal finish.
After a 1–3 start, the team rebounded with five straight wins to reach the playoffs. They lost in the semifinals to Sweden but bounced back with a 10–7 victory over the United States to secure bronze, earning Canada its first Olympic women’s curling medal in 12 years.
Homan’s success extends far beyond the Olympics. She has:
Her consistency has made her one of the most dominant figures in modern curling.
Curling has been part of Homan’s family history for generations. Her great-grandfather and grandfather played while serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and her parents and brother were also involved in the sport.
That legacy helped shape her early rise through junior championships and national competition
Tuesday’s event at the RMCC gave fans a rare chance to meet Homan in an intimate setting. She signed pre-ordered books, posed for photos, and spent time speaking with attendees.
For many in the crowd, the chance to meet Homan went beyond a book signing—it was an opportunity to connect with an athlete who has inspired them from afar, and to see that impact up close.
Edward Pichovich, a junior curler at the RMCC and skip of his U-18 team, said meeting Homan was the reason he came.
“She’s an amazing curler and an amazing player for Canada.” He added that meeting an Olympian in person was unforgettable: “it’s pretty special to be able to meet an Olympian. That’s kind of cool. It’s my first time doing so, and I hope I get to do it more.”
For one fan, the impact went beyond sport.
“I just love meeting these superstars because they’re so exciting. They encourage you. They give you so much hope to everything that you can be.,”
“She’s such an inspiration to every female that this is what we can be. It’s not that bad. It’s not that hard, and you can do it. Just put in the hours that she does. That’s all that matters. Put in the hours. Hard work, education, exercise, and practice,” she added.
For Homan, this new chapter isn’t just about a book—it’s about the people who have been part of her story all along.
“We won the Olympics. We won the bronze medal at the Olympics and it’s been really fun to come back and you know, hear stories of people cheering us on, been watching us for years and hearing about watch parties we didn’t know existed. And you know, we won the bronze but it’s really, you know, to celebrate with every Canadian that shared us on and was, you know, along for the ride. That’s kind of the most special part is sharing that excitement and the journey with fans.”
