Province bestows honours on Team Gushue

Premier Danny Williams announced plans today to commemorate Team Gushue�s gold medal victory in curling at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy

�Team Gushue certainly deserves lasting recognition for their incredible achievement in sport and for their overall contribution to this province,� said Premier Williams. �These athletes not only brought home the gold but the profile they have brought Newfoundland and Labrador on the world stage is immeasurable. Neither word nor deed can truly do justice to their tremendous accomplishments, however, we hope these initiatives will serve to celebrate Team Gushue.�

In honour of the Gushue rink, the new Bifurcation Road in St. John�s, scheduled to open this spring, will be named Team Gushue Highway.

Premier Williams also announced plans to establish an annual scholarship under the Premier�s Athletic Awards program in Team Gushue�s honour. The Premier's Athletic Awards are designed to assist the province�s elite athletes by providing financial assistance to support them while competing at the provincial, national and international levels.

�Furthermore, on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador I will be nominating the six team members for the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador,� added Premier Williams. �This is truly a team the whole province can be proud of, with fine representation from both Labrador and Newfoundland.�

�These fine athletes are certainly worthy of these prestigious honours. They have demonstrated excellence in their field and have benefited the province and its residents in an outstanding manner. Moreover, they have become important role models for the youth of this province.�

This historic event was a first for the province and the country: a first gold medal by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at the winter Olympics and a first gold medal for Canada in Olympic men�s curling. As part of recognizing these historic achievements, Team Gushue attended a meeting of the Provincial Cabinet in St. John�s. Such invitations are rare in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador and further indicate the significance and value of Team Gushue�s achievements to all residents of the province.

Photo #1: Team Gushue, Olympic Gold Medalists, meet with members of the provincial Cabinet.

Seated: Team Gushue - Coach Toby McDonald, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Brad Gushue, Mike Adam, Jamie Korab
Standing: Premier Williams and his Cabinet

Team Biographies

Brad Gushue
Brad Gushue was born in St. John�s, NL in June 1980 and has been an active curler for the last 13 years. Gushue skipped for Newfoundland and Labrador in three Briers from 2003-2005. He won the 2001 World Junior Championship as skip for Canada and was the alternate for the John Morris team that won the 1998 World Junior Championship. A finalist for the Canadian Junior Athlete of the Year in 2001, Gushue is also a three-time Newfoundland and Labrador junior champion in golf. Gushue currently resides in St. John�s.

Jamie Korab
Jamie Korab was born in Harbour Grace, NL in November 1979 and has been involved with curling for 14 years. Korab has competed in three Briers for skip Brad Gushue, as second in 2003 and 2004, and as lead in 2005. He also competed in two Canadian Juniors for Newfoundland and Labrador, as third for skip Randy Turpin in 1997 and as second for Gushue in 2000. He works as a service management technician in St. John's.

Russ Howard
Russ Howard was born in Midland, Ontario in February 1956 and currently lives in Moncton, New Brunswick. Howard has been curling for 38 years and has skipped in a record 13 Briers - winning two, and has recorded the most wins at the Brier with 107. He won the World Curling Championships in both 1987 and 1993.

Mark Nichols
Mark Nichols was born in Labrador City, NL in January 1980 and currently resides in St. John�s. Nichols played third for skip Brad Gushue in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Briers and the 2001 World Junior Championship. He won the 2005 Canadian Mixed Championship as skip for Newfoundland and Labrador along with his sister Shelley. He has a kinesiology degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and has been curling since he was seven years old.

Mike Adam
Mike Adam was born in Labrador City, NL in June 1981 and has been involved with curling for the last 10 years. Adam was the alternate for the Brad Gushue team at the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Briers and played in three K�rcher Juniors for Newfoundland and Labrador, winning once. He was the lead for Gushue in 2000 (runner-up) and 2001 (won), and the third for skip Ryan LeDrew in 2002. In 2001 he won the World Junior Championship as lead for Gushue. Adam is currently a Mechanical Engineering Technology student at the College of the North Atlantic.

Toby McDonald
Toby McDonald was born in St. John�s, NL in April 1951 and has been involved with curling for the last 40 years. He has served as coach with the 2006 Canadian Olympic Men�s Curling Team, the 2005 Tim Hortons Olympic Trails Champions, and of the Newfoundland and Labrador Team at the 2005 Tim Hortons Brier. McDoanld has also been an active curler himself playing in numerous Briers and world curling events. Mr. McDonald currently lives in St. John�s where he practices law.

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960, 690-5500, elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca

2006 03 06                                             4:10 p.m.