13-Year-Old "Curling Sensation" Ready to Rock Thompson at Winter Games - AI Generated Image
A young curling prodigy from the south is set to bring her “trademark smile” and winning strategy to the Hub of the North, as teams begin to qualify for the upcoming Manitoba Winter Games.
Brooklyn Wiebe, a 13-year-old skip from Steinbach, has officially punched her ticket to Thompson for the 2026 Manitoba Winter Games, scheduled to run from March 1 to March 4, 2026.
Wiebe admits it took a little convincing to enter the qualifiers, but the allure of the Games was too strong to ignore. “I had told my coach that it’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing that we get to do,” she said. “It’s really our only opportunity to do it”.
Once committed, her rink—comprising lead Morgan Lytwyn, second Ahinoam Ruka, and third London Friesen—dominated their qualifiers, winning their first two games with decisive scores of 9-1 and 9-2.
According to Steinbachonline, to prepare, the team has been practicing heavily, sometimes traveling to Morris to accommodate a teammate from Altona, and even training with legendary curler Jill Officer. She credits her grandfather, who serves as her coach, for supporting her journey across the province.
A member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, Emma returned to core news journalism in early 2025 following a distinguished 15-year career as a content publisher and digital strategist. This background allows her to combine traditional journalistic integrity with a modern, data-driven approach to storytelling.
Emma holds a First-Class Honours degree in Business Studies from the University of Ulster and a postgraduate diploma in Accounting, providing her with a unique analytical lens when covering municipal politics, community development, and the social issues shaping Thompson, MB.
Contact her at emma@thethompsonnews.ca.
