Curl Runnings: Brisbane dads chase Olympic curling dream in Otago

You may remember Cool Runnings, the Jamaican bobsled team that defied the odds. Well, now it's time to meet Curl Runnings – a group of Brisbane dads chasing their own Winter Olympic dream in curling.

The Curlew Curlers are new to the sport, having only picked up the sport just over a year ago.

However, the group of 40-something-year-old dads have some lofty dreams.

"Our goal is to make the Olympics – that’s our goal," team member Andrew Swain told 1News.

The group of friends started curling after a lunchtime conversation.

"It’s mateship. It's having a conversation as a group of dads at lunch going, 'Gee, a sport sounds like a good idea. Let's see what we can do with it'," teammate Boyd Kildey said.

They've since made a couple of finals in Queensland and have gone on to compete at the national championships. But their first step in the Olympic qualification pathway is winning nationals – which just so happens to be hosted in Naseby, in Central Otago.

Australia doesn't have a dedicated curling rink.

Former Australian men’s skip Hugh Millikin explained that while there are a number of places for curling in the country, it's all played on hockey ice.

"Curling is a specialty ice surface," Millikin said. "We curl on hockey ice and only have 20 minutes to prepare it. It’s never as good as what you’re going to have here [in Naseby]."

Women's competitor Lynn Hewitt said hockey ice isn't as flat as curling ice "so it does make it difficult".

"We can practice a bit of technique when we're over there and strategy and that but really, it doesn’t come together until we get here."

The Maniototo Curling Rink is the only dedicated curling facility in the Southern Hemisphere. For the past 20 years, it has regularly hosted Australia's top curlers.

"It is unbelievable how different the ice is, and how different the experience is," Kildey said.

Swain joked that where they've been playing in Australia is "like playing backyard cricket on your driveway, and we’ve now landed at Lord's".

But competing here has also led to some sacrifices.

Swain, who is also a Super Rugby and Test rugby commentator for Stan Sport in Australia, took the weekend off to compete. The team also sold cattle, gifted by their sponsor Maynard Cattle, to help fund their trip.

"State prices are very good at the moment, so it wasn’t hard to sell them. We managed to get them into market," Swain said with a laugh.

While the Curlews didn't make it through to the men's final at the National Championships, they’re far from finished.

"We will absolutely keep going for it," Kildey said. "It might not be Milan-Cortina in 2026 but hey, I like French food, too," Swain said. "The French Alps in 2030. We’re only young!"