(by ) Brooks Roche said these days it feels like he has just gone through the shortest three years of his life.
Brooks Roche throws for PEI
Curling Canada Photo: Brooks Roche
The Montague High valedictorian for 2015 has done plenty of living in those three years and many years before.
“It’s a bitter sweet ending to Grade 12, but it will be very exciting to move on to UPEI and get a different kind of academic experience,” he said.
Thanks to Brooks’ passion for the game of curling and desire to help others, the soft spoken Lower Montague youth will continue his education with a leg up.
He is the recipient of one of six national scholarships from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
The $5,000 Spirit of Sandra Scholarship is given to young athletes entering post secondary education combined with furthering their curling pursuits.
Brooks is doing both in spades.
He has placed in the top three academically every year in high school and has been curling since Grade 4.
Most recently he and two other Montague youths, Dylan and Ryan Lowery, and Tyler Smith, from Crapaud, came home from the 2015 Canada Games with a sixth place finish and also represented the province at the Junior Nationals.
Much like juggling all the important aspects of his own life, Brooks said the game of curling is all about balance.
“It’s a different type of sport,” he said. “It’s so much precision, athleticism and balance, but it’s also a huge mental game because you always have to be on alert; considering every variable on the ice.”