Laurier alum hopes to lead Team Homan to podium finish at 2026 Olympics
Posted Feb 4, 2026 10:50:05 AM.
Last Updated Feb 4, 2026 11:37:46 AM.
While the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games haven’t kicked off quite yet, the competition has already opened up, with all eyes turning to curling as the games begin.
Mixed doubles competitions start on Wednesday, but local curling fans will be getting some excitement out of the women’s events next week, with Sarah Wilkes hoping to lead Team Homan to a podium finish.
Wilkes has roots across much of southwestern Ontario, being Toronto-born, a London resident, as well as a former Golden Hawk and Laurier alum from Waterloo Region.
While she’s heading to her first Olympic Games, Wilkes’s time as a curler has been years in the making, throwing her first stone at the age of 6 and entering competitions at age 12.
“It’s definitely a different stage, but I think the same kind of nervous excitement is still there,” Wilkes mentioned. “For us, it’s just about kind of leaning into our process, preparation, and going out there and putting all of that to work and then seeing what happens.”
She said that the intensity of competition took a turn into the university-level play at Laurier, which helped bridge the gap between the junior-level and the professional women’s level.
“It’s so valuable being able to compete at a high level between juniors and women’s because it’s such a huge jump,” Wilkes stated. “I found that university really kind of gave me that platform while transitioning into the women’s game. Laurier’s program was incredibly valuable to me as an athlete.”
She mentioned that, since those days as a Golden Hawk, there’s still a series of skills she picked up that have continued to have an impact as she heads to Italy.
“When I was at Laurier, I was also on the fastball team. I had to balance a lot,” she said. “A lot of time management skills that I’m still using today, balancing training, competition, and life.”
Wilkes isn’t the only one from Waterloo Region with a tie to the upcoming 2026 Olympics or even to world-class curling, with Paul Webster, also a Laurier alum, set to coach for Team Jacobs in the men’s competition.
Team Homan hopeful to find the podium in Italy
Turning to the upcoming Olympic Games, Wilkes is the Lead for Team Homan, which consists of herself, Rachel Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and alternate Rachelle Brown.
Wilkes said preparations for the Olympics are always on the go, with training and other competitions throughout the remainder of the year. She said the main pressure is around the busy, personal preparations as the games themself get closer and closer.
“The challenging part is just there’s so much to do,” said Wilkes. “The balancing act of getting everything ready at home for when you’re going to be away, then making sure that you’re ready at an individual level, both from a curling perspective and a physical and mental perspective.”
Team Homan secured its spot at the upcoming games after coming out victorious at the Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax, alongside Team Jacobs in the men’s competition.
They are entering the competitions with some Olympic pedigree on the roster, as Homan will be preparing for her third Olympic Games and Miskew kicking off her second.
“Rachel and Emma’s experience has been invaluable, just to hear their perspectives and to hear kind of what to expect, little tips and tricks for managing things,” Wilkes said. “It’s definitely something that we’ve had lots of conversations about, and I’m super grateful to be able to lean on them as we head into the Olympics.”
As Canadian pride is set to mount through the coming weeks, Wilkes took the time to acknowledge the future Olympians who will get their start from watching these 2026 games.
She said it’ll be important for hopeful athletes to remember the inspiration and drive that comes from watching the Olympics.
“Keep in mind what you want to accomplish, what the big picture of it is, and just keep going,” Wilkes said. “You want it to be fun, but also embrace the challenge of it all. Just enjoy the process even when it gets tough.”
Team Homan will enter into the first matchup of the Round Robin portion next week, set to take on Denmark on Thursday, Feb. 12.
