P.E.I.'s Brett Gallant excited to represent Canada at Winter Olympics

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Dec 30, 2021 7:00 PM EST | Last Updated: December 31, 2021

Charlottetown-born curler Brett Gallant says competing successful the Olympics volition beryllium a imagination travel existent for him and his fiancée, Jocelyn Peterman, adjacent if COVID-19 protocols volition marque it hard for them to spot each other.

Gallant volition beryllium heading to Beijing this wintertime arsenic portion of Brad Gushue's team. The Newfoundland and Labrador team qualified for the games pursuing a adjacent lucifer during Olympic curling trials successful Saskatchewan this November.

Peterman, who's a subordinate of the Jennifer Jones rink retired of Manitoba, besides qualified for the Games following a nail-biter successful the women's final.

"That was ace nerve-wracking for me," Gallant said. "I conscionable retrieve the alleviation and excitement and however arrogant I was of her erstwhile they did win."

This volition beryllium the archetypal clip the 2 of them volition beryllium participating successful the Olympics. But Gallant said the planetary pandemic volition astir apt marque it truthful the mates won't beryllium capable to bask successful the infinitesimal together.

"Once the lawsuit begins, I'm definite interaction volition be, you know, reasonably limited," helium said. "We'll conscionable spot what the restrictions are like, you know. If we're capable to maybe watch each different play. Or if there's nary accidental of that, it's conscionable thing we don't person to woody with.

"Just knowing that she's determination and she's going done it and she's going to acquisition the aforesaid happening and it's breathtaking enough, you know. We'll decidedly person tons to drawback up connected aft the lawsuit is over arsenic well."

Safety first

Gallant said the squad volition marque definite to bash everything it tin to enactment harmless during the event. He said competing successful a bubble-like ambiance during caller times has been benignant of a "trial run" for what the large lawsuit volition beryllium like.

"It volition beryllium a antithetic Olympic Games for sure, but we'll conscionable travel each the protocols and each the proposal and we'll enactment safe," helium said.

The Canadian mixed doubles proceedings was precocious cancelled aft aggregate athletes tested affirmative for COVID-19. Instead, Curling Canada volition beryllium selecting a squad to correspond the state successful the Olympics.

Gallant, who on with Peterman has antecedently represented Canada successful nationalist mixed doubles competitions, said the concern is devastating for the athletes.

"You truly enactment for a full four-year rhythm looking up to those Olympic trials. For the teams, conscionable not to person the accidental to vie for that spot, it's surely tough," helium said.

"We were just, I guess, grateful that we weren't successful that concern due to the fact that of however hard it would be. And I cognize present curling Canada is going to person a pugnacious determination picking from the teams that were eligible to vie there."

Upcoming nuptials

But for Gallant and Peterman astatine least, the Olympics are just the beginning. The mates volition beryllium besides getting joined successful P.E.I. adjacent June.

"We person been gathering up to the Olympic Games for the past fewer years and curling has benignant of been a precedence successful our lives implicit that time," helium said. 

"So I deliberation erstwhile the Olympics are finished to beryllium capable to unwind a small bit, necktie the knot and commencement our lives arsenic a joined couple, it's evidently beauteous exciting."