Brad Gushue.Photo illustration The Globe and Mail. Source photo Justin Tang/The Canadian Press/The Canadian Press
Brad Gushue arrives in Regina this weekend in hot pursuit of a third consecutive Brier title, and a record-tying sixth. As he prepared for his 21st appearance in the Canadian men’s curling championship, the 43-year-old skip explained why none might be sweeter than his team’s first victory – Newfoundland and Labrador’s first Brier title in 41 years – before a hometown crowd in St. John’s in 2017. The two-time Olympic medalist made time for The Globe and Mail’s Q&A, discussing everything from golfing to music, and the two curlers he watches most avidly these days – his daughters, 16-year-old Hayley and 12-year-old Marissa.
What kind of sports dad are you?
I’m pretty chill. Sometimes my daughters make some calls and I get frustrated like, ‘what are they thinking?’ But then I remember they’re new to the game, they haven’t been doing it for 30 years like I have. But when I watch them play other sports I just sit there and watch, cheer them on. They play volleyball, soccer, and dance is a big thing for them, too. I’m not one of those soccer dads out there screaming. We’ve tried to expose them to as many sports and activities as possible and let them choose which they’re passionate about, like my parents did for me. My oldest is a real big curling fan and knows more about what’s going on in the curling world than I do, because she’s on social media and on YouTube watching the games. She told me who won every province this year, going into the Brier.
When and where are you happiest?
Around my kids is an obvious one, spending time with family. But outside of that, I enjoy going to practice by myself when there’s nobody else in the curling club. I like the solitude and the quiet and hearing the rocks fly down the ice. That’s my favourite time to enjoy curling, just by myself throwing rocks, trying to get better.
What’s your greatest fear?
My sports psychologist is probably going to get mad at me for saying this, but I think my greatest fear is letting my team down, letting my family down. I think every athlete has that fear. Then outside of sports, I also have a fear of falling. It’s not a fear of heights, I don’t mind being up in really tall buildings, but when I get close to the edge, oh my god, my body just goes crazy and I have to stay back.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
We come from a small province, and when I was younger and had big goals, people tried to tame those and get me to think on a smaller level. I never listened, and I’m glad. It opened the eyes of a lot of people in our province that you can think at a national and international level, whether it’s in music, sport or business. Here in Newfoundland, a lot more people started thinking ‘okay, we can actually compete’. I’m proud of helping change that mindset. I know we weren’t the only reason for it – there were other things that happened in our province, too – but us winning Olympic gold in 2006 was one of those moments.
What is a trait you dislike in others?
Dishonesty. I think that just saying what you think is important. Let’s get it over with and move on. Sometimes people just tell you what they think you want to hear. I get frustrated with that.
What’s a trait you dislike in yourself?
I’ve been accused of being too blunt and honest. I’ve gotten better with it as I’ve gotten older, but I can be blunt and too straightforward, and not everybody appreciates it. Some people like a little softer approach. Sometimes I should think before I speak!
What is your greatest regret?
It’s hard to call it a real “regret,” because I’m so happy with the course my life has taken – but when I was younger, I wanted to pursue architecture. The university here in St. John’s didn’t have architecture, and I didn’t want to move away because it would impact my curling team and my curling career. So I went to business school. The only other regret I have is being away from home so much to compete. I’ve missed a lot of birthdays, celebrations, and cool moments.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
When I was a kid, my father and I used to do a lot of snowmobiling. When I got to the age where I could start to drive myself, one Christmas he got me a little one of my own. I remember being so excited.
What is your most treasured possession?
Probably the Olympic gold medal. I’m very proud of it. I’m not really into possessions. But if my medal went missing, that’s the one thing that would give me grief.
Are there musicians who resonate with you?
Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs are my favourites. Garth Brooks was my favourite artist as a kid, but I never listened to any other country music other than him back then. I also really like Eminem and find some of his songs really motivational, but I’d say I’m 90 per cent country right now.
What is an invitation you would love to receive?
I’d love to get invited to the Masters. I’m a big golfer. I played competitive golf when I was a teenager and nationally ranked as an amateur, so now I still follow it religiously. I love to golf. As the biggest event, I’d love to see it and get to play the course.
What’s your favourite golf course to play?
I played Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links last year and it was awesome. I played St Andrews about 10 years ago, and it was amazing, thinking about every great golfer that ever played there. The town feels so historic. It’s a special place. We played it in January in the freezing cold. I’d love to go back and play it on a nice summer day.
I was going to ask you which three Canadians you would like to invite to curl with you. But maybe you’d rather invite people to golf?
I’d rather golf for sure! If I was going to curl with three people, I’d want them to be good. I wouldn’t take newbies out to curl. I’d be too frustrated. But golf with any three Canadians? Good question. I would stick with the sporting world because I’m such a sports fan. Holy smokes, that’s tough. I’d say Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, and Nick Taylor. Nick is playing real well right now, and I love watching great players hit the ball.
Is it true that you’re ambidextrous?
Well I write left-handed, I eat left-handed, but I throw a rock right-handed, I golf and throw a baseball right-handed, yet I hold a shovel left-handed. It’s just whatever hand I used when I first learned something. I actually broke my hand during junior curling, and I couldn’t throw with the right, so I started to practise left and got pretty good. If my hand didn’t recover in time for our provincial championships that year, I was going to play left-handed, but at lead. Fortunately, I got the cast off and the pins out of my hand and I was able to compete right-handed. So I don’t know if I’m truly ambidextrous. When I fill out stuff that asks what hand I am, I never know how to answer.
This will be Brier No. 21 for you. What’s your standout memory from the many you’ve played?
The Brier in St. John’s is by far my biggest memory. It even exceeds our Olympic memories because it was at home with all the pressure, and we were the No. 1 team in the world but we hadn’t won the Brier up to that point. Then to do it at home, I had come back from an injury, with all the pressure, and it came down in the last shot. I don’t know if I’d ever want to do it again, because it was so intense and stressful. But I loved it. It’s going to be hard for something to ever exceed that.