From Carleton to the Olympic Podium: Alumna Emma Miskew Wins Bronze in Curling
By: Jenna Hobin
“It feels amazing. You don’t realize how cool it is until you’re stepping on that podium. We have won bronze at world championships and other competitions, but it doesn’t quite feel the same as being able to say we won an Olympic medal so we’re really proud of ourselves.”
Back home in Canada, Emma Miskew is still reflecting on that milestone moment atop the Olympic podium. The Carleton University alumna, who graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, has earned her first Olympic medal representing Team Canada—a bronze in women’s curling, secured with a win over the United States.
The path to the podium was anything but easy. Team Homan had to win five consecutive games just to qualify for the playoffs, which felt out of reach for Emma at times. That made the result feel even “sweeter,” as she described it, and reinforced the team’s resilience when faced with adversity.
“Sport isn’t meant to be easy and it tests you with a lot of highs and lows. You can’t guarantee outcomes and you will have lows sometimes no matter how hard you work, so being able to adapt and to turn those lows into learning opportunities is so important.”
In Italy, she celebrated alongside family and friends who were there to witness the achievement in person. The medal ceremony followed the next day before the team made their trek home. Now back in Ottawa, more celebrations are on the horizon with those who supported her from afar.
At the heart of her Olympic success is a friendship that has spanned decades. Emma has been curling since she was five years old and has played alongside Rachel Homan since she was 12. She credits their lifelong
bond — built on shared drive, dedication and the same goals — as the foundation of both her curling career and love for the sport.
“It’s so special that I get to play alongside my best friend who is like family. I never dread going away because I know she’s going to be there and it always feels like home in that way.”
The bronze medal adds to an already remarkable run for Team Homan, including back-to-back gold medals at the world championships in 2024 and 2025, and now an Olympic medal joins that long list of accomplishments. “We are super proud of our resilience and how we were able to bounce back,” she said.
Throughout it all, Miskew has balanced her athletic career with professional pursuits shaped at Carleton University. In the midst of her commitment to curling, she chose to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design. With a strong artistic side, the program felt like a natural fit—an opportunity to tap into her creativity while continuing to compete at the highest level.
While in the program, she took courses in graphic design that helped her advance her skills and build a career. Since graduation, she has focused on graphic design, which offers the flexibility to work while traveling for competitions. She has combined her passions for creative design and curling—designing sublimation jackets, creating custom wraps for curling brooms and producing posters and banners.
“There are a lot of different ways that I’ve used what I’ve learned in school in order to continue competing in curling, while also building a career on the side.”
After a rigorous schedule since September, Miskew is now most looking forward to embracing recovery time—spending time with friends and family, decompressing outdoors and being home with her dogs.
Emma Miskew’s journey shows the power of determination, creativity and lifelong learning—qualities she honed at Carleton and now carries with her on the Olympic stage and beyond.