Everyone was on their feet. Thousands under the roof of TD Place Arena in Ottawa were watching one man making his return to the ice. It was the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier and one of the world’s top curlers took the ice in his hometown for the first time since having to leave the game due to a cancer diagnosis.
Craig Savill took his position, rock in hand, and delivered 2 shots down the ice as the crowd erupted. Tears flowed. Despite being exhausted from treatment and initially not wanting to be in the spotlight during Canada’s national championship, muscle memory took over. Those 2 rocks were perfect – one set up as a guard and the other thrown around it – and it was like he never left.
No one would have known that several months before that, Craig didn’t know if he would ever throw a rock again.
Craig's diagnosis
In August 2015, Craig’s curling career came to a screeching halt.
“I was putting on a T-shirt and it was tight on me,” the two-time Brier and world champion said. “I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve been working out recently so maybe I’m just a little bit bigger than I thought.’ What I didn’t realize was I had some lumps under my arms. And then I noticed a growth in my neck area.”
Craig said that there were multiple signs, but he always found some reason why he could be feeling a certain way. But just to be on the safe side, he visited his doctor and got some blood work done and eventually a biopsy of the growth.
“I’ve been going alone because I was thinking it was kind of nothing. I was the first appointment of the day. The surgeon looked at me and said, ‘You have Hodgkin lymphoma.’”
Immediately, Craig put everything in his life on hold. The sport that he had dedicated his life to was no longer a priority, but its community did not stop thinking about Craig’s cancer experience.
Support from the curling community
Word slowly spread through the curling community and eventually Craig put out a post on Facebook explaining his diagnosis and letting everyone know what was going on.
After that, support and love came pouring in.
“I could not think of going through cancer treatment without the curling community,” the 13-time Grand Slam champion said. “I was very lucky to have so much support. I got thousands of messages through social media, texting, phone calls and letters of support. It was quite overwhelming initially, but I think that’s what got me through a lot of the tough times.”
Through the good days and bad days of his cancer treatment, Craig would go back and read the messages he received and kept on receiving. It revitalized his spirit during those tough times. He knows he is lucky to have this community embracing him and caring about him.
Even while going through treatment and being away from the rink, Craig still felt a part of his community. He missed being on tour and missed being at significant tournaments, but thanks to phone calls with old and new teammates, he was staying current with the curling world while going through treatment.
And during that time, the plans were set in place for Craig to make that triumphant return at the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier.
Making the shots at the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier
All of this happened without Craig’s knowledge. Discussions with Curling Canada were ongoing to try and make this moment happen. And with everything in place, Craig was told the plan just a couple weeks before.
Initially, Craig thought he was just going to be on the bench. Being able to chat with his teammates in the middle of his treatment cycle was more than he could have asked for. Craig didn’t think he would get to do anything more than that, or even want to.
“I didn’t want to throw a rock,” he said. “I was super weak. I lost a ton of weight, as well. So, that wasn’t even in my head. I remember sitting on the bench and I actually went over, joking around with some of the other coaches and then Richard Hart looks over at me and says ‘Savill, you’re in.’ I was like, ‘In what?’”
Every other game stopped what they were doing. With legs shaking and a feeling of exhaustion starting, Craig walked over and threw those 2 perfect shots.
“I get choked up just thinking about it. It was very cool. It’s amazing what muscle memory can do. I was not thinking – the only thought was to not fall. I wanted to be present for that moment and I think I was. I am just very grateful for the curling community to do that. Curling Canada, the two teams, all of the players; they had to figure all that out just to let me have a moment, which was quite amazing.”
“That’s why I feel so strongly about the curling community and how they seem to wrap their hands around their own. I’ve always known it, but it was amazing to see it in full and for me. It couldn’t have come at a better time, too. The treatments were getting harder and harder, it was getting more difficult mentally and it gave me a boost of energy going into the last 3 months of treatment.”
The cancer returned
“I kept all the messages from the curling community, and I had a wall made up of all the cards and stuff that we kept set up in my bedroom so I could look at it every morning. The curling community came back out again and just embraced me.”
Craig knew he had to pay it back somehow in the same way that the curling community showed an outpouring of love and support.Curl For Cancer
The Canadian Cancer Society’s Curl For Cancer is uniting curling communities across Canada with a shared goal of taking control of cancer. Craig quickly signed up to be a curling ambassador for the cause.
“I feel like this is the perfect fit,” the 4-time world champion said. “It’s two things I’m very passionate about in curling and helping people that have been diagnosed with cancer. I know how cancer can affect a person and a family and people around them, and I hope we can raise more awareness and funds for resources.
“Curling is a great fit because we as a community really embrace each other and wrap our hands around each other. I think this is a testament to that. The numbers are really scary of how many people get diagnosed with cancer. Curl For Cancer is a perfect opportunity to get involved and to raise money for cancer research and support services.”
Curl For Cancer is happening across the country right now, with events to raise funds to support cancer research and provide care for those affected by or living with cancer.
Together, we can change the future of cancer and provide hope for those affected by cancer.
“Anybody going through a diagnosis and cancer treatment – it's very important to reach out to people and receive that support,” Craig said. “It's both a physical and mental journey. Everyone’s journey is different; even if you have the same cancer, your journey can be quite different than the next person’s. Getting help along the way, I think is so important.”