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Val Sweeting
Val Sweeting
Val Sweeting
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Valerie Sweeting (born July 9, 1987 in Redvers, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian curler from Lottie Lake, Alberta[2] She currently plays third for Team Kerri Einarson. Sweeting skipped Alberta to a silver medal at the 2014 and 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and won the tournament in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026 with Team Kerri Einarson.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Sweeting grew up in Maryfield, Saskatchewan. In 2007, Sweeting played third for Hailey Surik's junior rink out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.[3] The team represented Saskatchewan at the 2007 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. After posting an 8–4 record, they lost to Manitoba in a tiebreaker match.[4]

After juniors, Sweeting moved to Alberta where she formed her own team with Megan Anderson at third, Carly Quigley at second and Whitney Eckstrand at lead.[5] In 2010, in her very first provincial championship, Sweeting surprised many by defeating former World championship bronze medalist Cathy King and Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Kleibrink to capture the provincial crown. She would be the youngest skip ever to represent Alberta at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts. At the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, she skipped her province to a 4–7 record.[6]

Sweeting played in her first Grand Slam event later in the season. Ranked 44th going into the 2010 Players' Championship, she won three straight games after losing to Kleibrink, qualifying her for the playoffs. She then lost in the quarterfinal to Stefanie Lawton.[7]

After the 2009–10 season, Sweeting re-jigged her team's lineup, adding Leslie Rogers at third, replacing Quigley.[5] The team had a less eventful season in 2010–11, including winning just one game at the 2011 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts.[8] After the season, Sweeting brought in a new front-end of Joanne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny.[5] The team improved on the year before, and finished in fourth place at the 2012 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts.[9] Following the season, Sweeting added Dana Ferguson at third position, replacing Rogers.[5]

In the 2012–13 season, Sweeting's rink narrowly missed the playoffs at the 2013 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts,[10] but the team was able to gain enough CTRS points to qualify for the 2013 Canadian Olympic Pre-Trials. The team was one of the qualifiers in the event, giving them the right to play in the 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.[11] At the trials, Sweeting led her rink to a 3–4 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs.[12] Also in the 2013–14 season, the rink had two quarterfinal appearances at Grand Slams, at the 2013 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic and the 2013 Colonial Square Ladies Classic.[13] Sweeting continued her success that season by going undefeated at the 2014 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where her team beat Cheryl Bernard in the final.[14] Sweeting then represented Alberta once again at the national championships, the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. At the Hearts, Sweeting led Alberta to an 8–3 finish following the round robin. This put her into the playoffs, where she beat Saskatchewan's Stefanie Lawton and Manitoba's Chelsea Carey to advance to the final. There, she lost to Ontario's Rachel Homan 8–6 to win the silver medal.[15]

After the 2013–14 season, Sweeting's third Joanne Courtney left the team to play for the Homan rink, whom they had lost to in the 2014 Scotties final.[16] She would be replaced by Andrea Crawford, who left the team early in the season when things weren't working out.[17] With Cathy Overton-Clapham playing third as their spare, they won their first slam at the 2014 Masters of Curling.[18] With Lori Olson-Johns as their new full-time third, they also made it to the semifinals at two slams and the quarterfinals at one other.[13] They also won the 2014 Canada Cup of Curling, defeating Homan in the final.[19] The team would win the 2015 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts, earning the team a berth at the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. There, Sweeting led her rink to a 9–2 round robin record, good enough for second place, behind Team Manitoba, skipped by Jennifer Jones. They would go on to lose to Manitoba in the 1 vs. 2 game, but rebounded in the semifinal, beating Saskatchewan (skipped by Stefanie Lawton), before losing to Jones again in the final.[20]

The team found less success in their next season. They won just one tour event (the 2015 HDF Insurance Shoot-Out), though they still made the playoffs in five of the six slams of the season, including making it to the finals of the 2015 Masters, where they lost to Homan.[13][21] The team would not represent Alberta at the Scotties, as they lost in the finals of the 2016 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts to the Chelsea Carey rink, who would end up winning the national title.[22][23]

In the 2016–17 season, the Sweeting rink made the playoffs in five of the six slams, including winning the 2016 GSOC Tour Challenge and losing in the final of the 2017 Players' Championship.[13] The team again lost in the finals of the 2017 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts, this time losing to Shannon Kleibrink.[24] The next season, Sweeting defended her title by winning the 2017 GSOC Tour Challenge.[25] Sweeting played in the 2017 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, going 4–4, just missing the playoffs.[26] Her dreams of making the Olympics would not be over though, as she teamed up with Brad Gushue to play in the 2018 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Olympic Trials. The pair went 5–3 in the round robin, but rallied off three straight victories in the playoffs to make it to the finals. There, they lost to John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes.[27] Sweeting then turned her attention to the 2018 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where she lost in the 3 vs. 4 game.[28] In addition to winning the Tour Challenge, the Sweeting team made the playoffs in one more slam that season, the 2017 Boost National.[13]

In February 2018, it was announced that the Sweeting team would be breaking up with Sweeting joining the all-skip squad of Kerri Einarson, Shannon Birchard and Briane Meilleur for the 2018–19 season. Sweeting would play third on the team.[29] They began the season by winning three straight World Curling Tour events in three weeks: the 2018 Stu Sells Oakville Tankard, the inaugural Morris SunSpiel and then the Mother Club Fall Curling Classic[30] with a fourth win at the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Classic in October.[31] In December, the team lost in the finals of the 2018 Canada Cup and 2018 National.[32][33] Their strong play during the early part of the season earned them enough points to put team Einarson in the Wild Card game at the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. However, the team lost to the lower-ranked Casey Scheidegger rink.[34] The team would rebound to have a strong finish at the end of the season, winning the 2019 Players' Championship and losing in the final of the 2019 Champions Cup.[13]

Team Einarson had two playoff finishes at the first two Slams of the 2019–20 season, losing to Anna Hasselborg in the quarterfinal of the Masters and once again to Hasselborg in the final of the Tour Challenge.[35][36] The team did not have the same success at the Canada Cup as they did in 2018, finishing with a 2–4 record.[37] However, at the 2020 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, her team succeeded. They finished the round robin and championship round with a 7–1 record, which qualified them for the final. There, they defeated Jennifer Jones.[38] It was Sweeting's first Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial title. Team Einarson represented Manitoba at the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where they continued their success. They finished first in the round robin with a 9–2 record and then won the 1 vs. 2 page playoff game, qualifying them for the final.[39][40] Sweeting won her first Canadian Championship when they defeated Rachel Homan 8–7 in and extra end.[41] Sweeting was named the All-Star Third for the tournament.[42] The team was set to represent Canada at the 2020 World Women's Curling Championship before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[43][44] The Scotties would be their last event of the season as both the Players' Championship and the Champions Cup Grand Slam events were also cancelled due to the pandemic.[45]

Team Einarson returned to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2021 as Team Canada. They went 7–1 in the round robin, with their only loss coming against Ontario's Rachel Homan. This qualified them for the championship round. There, they won three games and lost one to Manitoba's Jennifer Jones.[46] They advanced to the playoffs as the second seed, defeating Alberta's Laura Walker 9–3 in the semifinal. In the final, they defeated Homan to win their second consecutive Scotties gold.[47] Sweeting was named the First Team All-Star third for the second year in a row.[48] A month later, Sweeting was back in the Calgary bubble to compete with Marc Kennedy at the 2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. The pair qualified for the playoffs with a 5–1 record before losing to Lisa Weagle and John Epping in the round of 12, eliminating them from contention.[49] Sweeting returned to the bubble for a third time in April 2021, along with her women's team to play in the two only Grand Slam events of the abbreviated season. The team made it to the semifinals of the 2021 Champions Cup where they lost to Team Homan, but got their revenge at the 2021 Players' Championship a week later, where they beat Homan in the final.[50] The following week, Team Einarson represented Canada at the 2021 World Women's Curling Championship. The team had a slow start to the event, falling to 1–5 after their first six games.[51] They turned things around, however, winning six of their seven remaining round robin games to qualifying for the playoffs.[52] They then faced Sweden's Anna Hasselborg in the qualification game, which they lost 8–3.[53]

The Einarson rink had a slow start to the 2021–22 season, failing to win any of their first five tour events. Their best finish came at the 2021 Sherwood Park Women's Curling Classic where they lost in the final to Tracy Fleury.[54] The team reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 Masters, however, then missed the playoffs at the 2021 National. At the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, the team went through the round robin with a 4–4 record. This earned them a spot in the first tiebreaker, where they defeated Casey Scheidegger 8–6. They then faced Krista McCarville in the second tiebreaker, where they lost 4–3 and were eliminated.[55] The team's next event was the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Through the round robin, the defending Scotties champions posted a perfect 8–0 record, earning a spot in the playoffs. They then lost in the seeding round to New Brunswick's Andrea Crawford, meaning they would have to win three straight games to defend their championship title. In the playoffs, the team won the 3 vs. 4 page playoff against Team Fleury and then defeated New Brunswick's Crawford in the semifinal to reach the Scotties final where they would face Northern Ontario's McCarville rink. After controlling the entire game, Team Einarson sealed the victory with a steal of one in the tenth end.[56] With the win, they became just the fourth team to win three consecutive Scotties titles. They then went on to represent Canada at the 2022 World Women's Curling Championship, where they fared much better than in 2021. The team finished the round robin tied for second place with a 9–3 record, however, due to their draw shot challenge, finished third overall. This placed them in the qualification game where they defeated Denmark's Madeleine Dupont to advance to the semifinal. There, they took on South Korea's Kim Eun-jung. After taking control in the seventh end, South Korea stole the ninth and tenth ends to hand the Canadian team a 9–6 loss.[57] They were able to rebound in the bronze medal game with an 8–7 victory over Sweden's Anna Hasselborg.[58] Team Einarson wrapped up their season at the final two Slams of the season. At the 2022 Players' Championship, they made it all the way to the final where they were defeated by the Hasselborg rink.[59] At the 2022 Champions Cup, the team secured their third Grand Slam title as a foursome with a 10–6 victory over Gim Eun-ji.[60]

The 2022–23 season began for Team Einarson at the 2022 PointsBet Invitational single elimination event where they entered as the top seeded team. After defeating Tracey Larocque and Kelsey Rocque, they lost 9–5 to the new Jennifer Jones rink in the semifinal.[61] The team next played in the first Slam of the year, the 2022 National, where they lost 7–3 to Silvana Tirinzoni in the event final.[62] They also reached the final of the 2022 Tour Challenge where they lost 8–4 to Rachel Homan.[63] Team Einarson was chosen to represent Canada at the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships where they qualified for the playoffs as the second seeds with a 7–1 record.[64] They then lost 6–5 to Japan in the semifinal but rebounded to beat the United States in the bronze medal game.[65] The team won their fourth Grand Slam together by going undefeated to claim the 2022 Masters.[66] In December, they travelled to Japan to compete in the 2022 Karuizawa International Curling Championships where they lost in the final to Kim Eun-jung.[67] In the new year, Team Einarson made it to another Slam final where they lost 5–3 to Satsuki Fujisawa.[68] Returning to the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts as Team Canada, the team again went undefeated through the round robin but lost in the page seeding game to Manitoba's Jones.[69] They then won both the 3 vs. 4 game and the semifinal over Nova Scotia and Northern Ontario respectively to reach another national final where they again faced Jones. After trading singles, Team Canada stole two in the fifth end to open a two-point lead. They secured their record tying fourth Scotties title with a score of five in the ninth end.[70] The team then advanced to the 2023 World Women's Curling Championship where they reached the playoffs again with a 7–5 record.[71] After defeating Japan in the qualification game, they lost in the semifinals for a second year in a row, 8–5 to Norway.[72] They won another bronze medal after an 8–5 win over Sweden.[73] Team Einarson reached the semifinals of the 2023 Players' Championship where they fell 10–3 to Isabella Wranå.[74] They finished their season at the 2023 Champions Cup where they lost 6–5 to Team Homan in the championship game.[75]

Sweeting throws a rock in the final of the 2026 Players' Championship against Silvana Tirinzoni in Steinbach, Manitoba.

Team Einarson reached the quarterfinals in their first event of the 2023–24 season, falling to Serena Gray-Withers at the 2023 Saville Shootout. The team then played in the 2023 PointsBet Invitational where they lost in the final to Team Homan.[76] For the second year in a row, they were chosen to represent Canada at the 2023 Pan Continental Curling Championships. The team did not have a great week, however, losing both the semifinal and bronze medal game to finish fourth.[77] In Grand Slam play, Team Einarson failed to reach any finals for the first time since forming. They had three semifinal finishes and one quarterfinal appearance before missing the playoffs at the 2024 Players' Championship, breaking their streak of qualifying at the previous twelve Slams. A few hours prior to the first draw of the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Curling Canada announced that the team's lead Briane Harris was deemed "ineligible" to play in the tournament without going into any more detail. She was replaced by alternate Krysten Karwacki.[78] Despite the disturbance, Team Einarson managed a 7–1 record through the round robin to qualify for the championship round. Once there, however, they lost both their games to Team Homan and Manitoba's Kate Cameron, eliminating them from contention and ending their chance of a record setting fifth straight Scotties title.[79] Following the event, in March, it was revealed that Harris had been provisionally suspended for up to four years for testing positive for Ligandrol, a banned substance. She will be appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[80] Harris was also replaced by Karwacki for the Players' Championship at the end of the season.

Team Einarson announced that for the 2024-25 curling season, Karwacki would join the team as a lead full-time, and Harris had left the team. The new Einarson rink had a strong start to the season, winning the first Grand Slam event of the season, the 2024 Tour Challenge. However, halfway through the season, Birchard announced she would miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, and was replaced by Karlee Burgess as second for the remained of the season.[81] At the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Einarson would finish in second place, losing to Team Homan 6-1 in the final. At the end of the season, after Birchard recovered from her injury, Einarson announced for the 2025-26 curling season that Birchard would remain as second, with Burgess throwing lead stones, and Karwacki being the alternate. In their first event of the season, Einarson would win the 2025 Saville Shootout, beating Gim Eun-ji in the final.

Personal life

[edit]

Sweeting is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan. She is currently the owner of Sweeting Wellness Company. She has one son.[82]

Grand Slam record

[edit]
Key
C Champion
F Lost in Final
SF Lost in Semifinal
QF Lost in Quarterfinals
R16 Lost in the round of 16
Q Did not advance to playoffs
T2 Played in Tier 2 event
DNP Did not participate in event
N/A Not a Grand Slam event that season
Event 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Masters N/A N/A N/A Q DNP C F Q Q Q QF N/A QF C SF QF Q
Tour Challenge N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Q C C SF F N/A N/A F SF C QF
The National N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A SF QF QF F Q N/A Q F QF SF Q
Canadian Open N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A SF QF SF Q Q QF N/A N/A F SF QF QF
Players' QF DNP DNP DNP Q SF QF F DNP C N/A C F SF Q Q F
Champions Cup N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A QF QF Q F N/A SF C F N/A N/A N/A

Former events

[edit]
Event 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15
Colonial Square N/A N/A N/A Q QF QF
Autumn Gold DNP Q Q Q QF Q
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries DNP DNP Q Q Q N/A
Sobeys Slam N/A Q N/A N/A N/A N/A

Teams

[edit]
Season Skip Third Second Lead
2009–10[83] Val Sweeting Megan Anderson Carley Quigley-O'Brien Whitney Eckstrand
2010–11 Val Sweeting Leslie Hammond Megan Anderson Whitney Eckstrand
2011–12 Val Sweeting Leslie Hammond Joanne Courtney Rachelle Brown
2012–13 Val Sweeting Dana Ferguson Joanne Courtney Rachelle Brown
2013–14 Val Sweeting Joanne Courtney Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown
2014–15 Val Sweeting Lori Olson-Johns Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown
2015–16 Val Sweeting Lori Olson-Johns Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown
2016–17 Val Sweeting Lori Olson-Johns Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown
2017–18 Val Sweeting Lori Olson-Johns Dana Ferguson Rachelle Brown
2018–19 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Meilleur
2019–20 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Meilleur
2020–21 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Meilleur
2021–22 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Meilleur
2022–23 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Harris
2023–24 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Briane Harris
2024–25 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Krysten Karwacki
Karlee Burgess
2025–26 Kerri Einarson Val Sweeting Shannon Birchard Karlee Burgess

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Val Sweeting

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Valerie Sweeting (born 1987) is a Canadian curler from , , who competes as third and vice-skip for Team , one of the most successful women's teams in recent Canadian history. Born in Redvers, , she throws left-handed and began her competitive career representing after moving there. As skip of her own rink from 2010 to 2019, Sweeting achieved significant success, winning the Alberta in 2010, 2014, and 2015, which qualified her to represent the province at the national championship. At the , she earned silver medals in both 2014 and 2015, finishing as runner-up to Team Ontario's on each occasion. Her team also captured major national titles, including the 2014 with a 6-3 victory over Homan's rink in the final, and the 2014 Masters of Curling Grand Slam event, defeating Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson 5-4 for her first Grand Slam win. In 2020, Sweeting joined Team Einarson as vice-skip, contributing to an immediate breakthrough with a win at the that year, defeating Homan 8-7 in an extra-end final to secure Manitoba's 11th national women's title. The team defended their championship successfully in 2021, 2022, and 2023, achieving a historic four-peat—the fourth such streak in Scotties history for any team. Representing at the World Women's Curling Championship, Team Einarson earned bronze medals in both 2022 (defeating Sweden's 8-7 in an extra end) and 2023 (edging Sweden's 8-5). As of November 2025, Sweeting continues with Team Einarson, who finished as runners-up at the 2025 and are ranked among the top teams in , preparing for the 2025 Canadian Olympic curling trials.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Val Sweeting was born on July 9, 1987, in Redvers, , . She grew up in the nearby rural community of Maryfield, a small town in southeastern known for its agricultural roots and tight-knit population of around 350 residents. This environment fostered a strong sense of community and resilience, with Sweeting spending her early years in a setting where outdoor activities and local traditions played a central role in daily life. Her family background emphasized support for her interests, particularly after they relocated to , , when she was 13 years old. Sweeting's parents demonstrated commitment to her budding passion for by regularly driving her from Vegreville to —over an hour away—for practices and games, ensuring she could continue honing her skills despite the move. No specific details on siblings or additional family involvement in sports are documented, but the family's willingness to accommodate her schedule highlighted the foundational role they played in nurturing her discipline and dedication. Sweeting's introduction to curling occurred around age 11, when she began playing in 1998 at the local Maryfield Curling Club. This small-town club, a hub for community recreation in Maryfield, provided her initial exposure to the sport through casual bonspiels and youth sessions, where she first learned the fundamentals of sweeping and stone delivery on ice. Her early experiences in Saskatchewan's curling culture, deeply ingrained in rural prairie life, sparked a lifelong affinity for the game that would later define her career.

University years and introduction to competitive curling

Sweeting, born and raised in , returned to the province after high school to attend the from 2005 to 2007. There, she pursued postsecondary studies, earning a degree. During her university years, Sweeting deepened her involvement in curling through the institution's athletic programs, transitioning from recreational play to organized competition. This experience introduced her to the rigors of intercollegiate-level play, fostering team coordination and strategic skills essential for higher competition. Sweeting's time at university also exposed her to provincial curling circuits in , where she began forming early competitive rinks and gaining recognition in structured events. Following her studies, she relocated to around 2010, marking the start of her ascent in national women's curling.

Curling career

Junior achievements

Sweeting's junior career in provided a foundational experience in high-level competition. In 2007, she represented her home province at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships as third for skip Hailey Surik's rink from , having qualified by winning the Saskatchewan provincial junior women's title earlier that year. The team, rounded out by second Cris Goertzen and lead Brityany Lemon, posted a competitive round-robin performance at the national event held in , , advancing to a game before a 9-3 loss to . Their run highlighted Sweeting's early contributions as a key player on a playoff-caliber junior squad. This exposure at the 2007 championships, combined with her formative years curling in small-town , played a pivotal role in honing Sweeting's skills and leadership qualities, paving the way for her transition to skipping her own rinks in subsequent years.

Early professional development

Following her success at the 2007 Canadian Junior Curling Championships representing , Sweeting relocated to around 2010 to pursue her professional career at the adult level. She affiliated with the Saville Community Sports Centre in , forming a new rink to compete in provincial play. In her debut at the , Sweeting skipped a team featuring third Megan Einarson, second Whitney More, and lead Rachelle Pidzarko to an unexpected victory, securing 's representation at the national championship. However, the following seasons presented challenges, as the team failed to qualify for nationals in 2011 after a disappointing performance and continued to face stiff provincial competition in 2012 and 2013 without reclaiming the title. These early provincial efforts highlighted Sweeting's determination amid evolving and increasing depth in . Sweeting also entered the World Curling Tour during this period, gaining experience through participation in non-major events with modest results. For instance, at the 2010 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic, her team posted a 4-3 record in the qualifying round but did not advance to the , defeating New Brunswick's rink in one matchup while falling to stronger opponents. These outings provided valuable competitive exposure as Sweeting refined her leadership and strategy. The team's composition underwent several adjustments to build cohesion, including shifts in the front end and the eventual addition of experienced third Lori Olson-Johns in November 2014 after a mid-season rebuild that saw multiple changes at the position earlier in the Olympic cycle. This evolution positioned the rink for greater stability heading into subsequent seasons.

Success as skip of Alberta rinks

Sweeting established herself as a dominant force in Alberta women's curling by winning back-to-back provincial championships at the 2014 and 2015 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts. In 2014, her team of third Dana Ferguson, second , and lead Rachelle Brown went undefeated through the event, defeating Renée Sonnenberg 8-3 in the final to secure 's representation at the national championship. This success carried into the 2014 in , where Sweeting's rink finished the round-robin with an 8-3 record and advanced through the , including a 7-5 semifinal victory over Manitoba's , before falling 8-6 to defending champions Team Canada skipped by in the final. The following season, Sweeting defended her provincial title at the 2015 Alberta Scotties in Lacombe, again posting a perfect 5-0 record en route to a 9-7 final win over Chelsea Carey's rink. With a restructured lineup featuring third Lori Olson-Johns, second Dana Ferguson, and lead Rachelle Brown, the team demonstrated resilience after offseason changes, including the departure of Courtney to Homan's squad and a brief stint with Crawford that did not pan out. At the 2015 Scotties in , Sweeting's team started 9-1 before late-round stumbles, but rebounded with a 7-6 semifinal victory over Saskatchewan's Stefanie Lawton to reach the final, where they lost 6-5 to Jones' in an extra-end thriller decided by a precise final . Sweeting's leadership during this era also yielded international success on the Grand Slam of Curling circuit, underscoring her team's competitive strength. In November 2014, she claimed her first Grand Slam title at the Masters in , defeating Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson 5-4 in the final with a clutch tap-back on her last stone. Further victories followed with the 2016 and 2017 Tour Challenge Tier 1 events, contributing to the team's status as season-long Bonus Cup champions in 2016-17. Despite these highlights, the period from 2016 to 2018 brought challenges at the provincial level, prompting lineup adjustments. In 2016, Sweeting's team, still featuring Olson-Johns, Ferguson, and Brown, reached the Scotties final but lost 8-5 to Carey's rink after stealing points in the later ends fell short. The 2017 provincial final saw a similar outcome, with a 6-4 defeat to Shannon Kleibrink's team in St. Albert, where Sweeting's final draw to sit two missed, allowing Kleibrink to secure her fifth title. These near-misses, coupled with inconsistent national performances and internal shifts—such as Crawford's mid-season return and quick exit in 2017-18—led to strategic reevaluations, ultimately resulting in the team's dissolution at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Role with Team Einarson

In 2018, following the dissolution of her own Alberta-based team, Val Sweeting transitioned to the role of third on Kerri Einarson's rink for the 2018–19 season, marking a shift from her prior experience as a skip. This new lineup, composed entirely of former skips, featured Einarson at skip, Sweeting at third, at second, and at lead, with the team quickly establishing strong chemistry through their shared strategic insights and competitive backgrounds. Sweeting's precise shot-making and tactical acumen as vice-skip complemented Einarson's leadership, contributing to the team's rapid ascent as a dominant force in women's . The quartet's synergy was evident in their pursuit of national and international success, including victories at the in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, as well as bronze medals at the World Women's Curling Championships in 2022 and 2023. The team represented at the but finished fifth after elimination in the playoffs. Under coach , who joined the team around 2021, Sweeting played a pivotal role in refining the rink's sweeping techniques and game management, helping maintain consistency amid high-stakes pressure. Her contributions extended beyond the ice, fostering team morale during rigorous training regimens and travel demands. Entering the 2024–25 season, Team Einarson faced lineup challenges due to injuries and roster adjustments. Second sustained a in 2024, sidelining her for much of the season and prompting multiple substitutions, including early on and Karlee Burgess joining as second in January 2025. Additionally, lead , returning from a provisional suspension lifted in January 2025, was not included in the team's roster for the 2025 to prioritize consistency, with filling the lead position. Despite these changes, Sweeting remained a steadfast presence at third, anchoring the team's performance en route to a runner-up finish at the 2025 Scotties, where they lost the final to Team Homan 6-1. Earlier in the season, the team secured a victory at the 2024 HearingLife Tour Challenge, defeating Team Homan 5-4 in the final, highlighting Sweeting's enduring reliability in clutch moments. Following the Scotties, Harris departed the team in March 2025 to join Team Cameron, while Birchard returned to the lineup by October 2025 after recovery. As of November 2025, Sweeting continues as third for Team Einarson.

Major achievements

Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Val Sweeting has competed in the nine times, first as skip of Team and later as third for Team , amassing a career record of 84 wins and 28 losses across 112 games. Her appearances include two runner-up finishes leading Alberta in the mid-2010s and four national titles as part of Einarson's dominant run from 2020 to 2023, tying for the second-most consecutive championships in Scotties history. Sweeting's contributions as vice-skip have been pivotal in Einarson's high-percentage shooting and strategic play, particularly in high-stakes playoff scenarios.
YearProvince/TeamRoleRecordPlacement
2010Skip4–7Missed
2014Skip8–3Silver
2015Skip9–3Silver
2020Third9–2
2021Third10–2
2022Third11–1
2023Third11–0
2024Third7–35th
2025Third7–3Silver
Sweeting's early national success came as skip of Alberta, where she led her rink to back-to-back finals. In 2014, after a 5–6 round-robin record that secured a playoff spot via tiebreaker, her team advanced through the Page system but fell 8–6 in an extra end to Rachel Homan's undefeated Ontario squad in the championship game, with Homan's precise draws sealing the steal in the 11th. The following year in 2015, Sweeting posted a 7–4 round-robin mark before defeating Saskatchewan's Stefanie Lawton 7–6 in the semifinal; however, they lost a tight 6–5 decision to Jennifer Jones's Manitoba team in the final, where Jones's final draw to the button in the 10th end proved decisive. These silver medals highlighted Sweeting's ability to guide underdog rinks to contention against elite competition. Transitioning to third on Team Einarson in 2019, Sweeting helped end a string of provincial near-misses by capturing Manitoba's first Scotties title in a decade at the 2020 event in Moose Jaw. The team finished with a 9–2 overall record, culminating in an 8–7 extra-end victory over Homan in the final, where Einarson's open draw in the 11th stole the win after Sweeting's efficient guards preserved options. This marked the first of four straight titles, with Sweeting's sweeping and shot-calling supporting Einarson's skip play. In 2021, held in a bubble format in Calgary due to COVID-19, they finished with a 10–2 overall record, including a 9–7 final win over Homan, stealing two in the ninth end to pull ahead. The 2022 championship in Thunder Bay saw an 11–1 overall record, including a 9–6 semifinal win over New Brunswick's Andrea Crawford and a 9–6 final triumph over Northern Ontario's Krista McCarville, relying on aggressive peels to open the house. Einarson's 2023 win in Winnipeg extended the streak to four, with an undefeated playoff run ending in a 10–4 rout of Jones in the final, where Sweeting's hit for four in the seventh end broke the game open. In 2024, representing as defending champions in , Einarson's team struggled with consistency, posting a 7–1 round-robin record before losses in the Page 1–2 game to 's (8–7) and the bronze-medal game to Saskatchewan's Skylar Ackerman, finishing fifth overall. The 2025 Scotties in saw Sweeting return to colours after lineup changes, with the team securing a 6–2 round-robin record to enter as the No. 2 seed. They advanced with a 7–4 win over Alberta's in the 1–2 page playoff, using controlled freezes to limit concessions, but fell 6–1 to Homan's undefeated Team in the final, where precise measurement calls and draws by Homan limited scoring chances. This runner-up finish earned Einarson a berth in the playdowns for the next national title.

World Women's Curling Championship

Val Sweeting made her debut at the World Women's Curling Championship in 2021 as third for Team , representing after their victory at the 2020 (the 2020 Worlds having been cancelled due to the ). The team posted a 7-6 record in the round-robin stage at the event in , , securing a tiebreaker win over the but falling 8-4 to Sweden's in the qualification playoff, finishing fifth overall. Sweeting's precise draws from the third position were instrumental in several victories, including a 10-3 rout of , contributing to the team's strong offensive play throughout the tournament. In 2022, Sweeting and Team Einarson returned to the Worlds in , again qualifying via the Scotties. They achieved a 9-3 round-robin record, advancing to the semifinals before a 9-4 loss to Switzerland's . The team rebounded in the game, defeating Sweden's 8-7 in an extra end, with Sweeting executing a and stick in the 11th to secure the win and Canada's first women's Worlds medal since 2018. This performance elevated Team Einarson's standing in the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS), reinforcing their position as one of Canada's top rinks. Sweeting's third Worlds appearance came in 2023 at the event in , , following another Scotties title. The team finished the round-robin with a 7-5 record, losing 8-7 to the in the semifinals. They claimed bronze once more, beating 8-5 in the medal game, where Sweeting's accurate shot-making helped maintain control in the later ends. These back-to-back bronze medals marked a significant international milestone for Sweeting, boosting her career CTRS points and highlighting her reliability in high-stakes draws. Team Einarson did not qualify for the 2024 or 2025 Worlds, as other Canadian rinks won the intervening Scotties.

Grand Slam of Curling

Val Sweeting has achieved significant success in the , a premier series of professional events, with seven verified titles to her credit. As skip of her own Alberta-based rink, she captured two early victories, establishing her as a top-tier competitor on the tour. Since joining Kerri Einarson as third in 2019, she has contributed to five additional wins, showcasing her versatility and consistency in high-stakes matches. Her Slam performances have been instrumental in her team's top rankings on the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS), including No. 1 positions in the 2014–15, 2019–20, and 2022–23 seasons. Sweeting's first Grand Slam title came in 2014 at the Masters, where her team defeated Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson 5-4 in the final after stealing a point in the eighth end to secure the $25,000 winner's purse. This victory propelled her rink to the top of the CTRS standings later that season. Three years later, she claimed her second title at the 2017 Tour Challenge, edging of 6-5 in an extra end, earning $20,000 and solidifying her reputation as a clutch performer in close games. Transitioning to Team Einarson, Sweeting helped the Manitoba rink dominate the tour, starting with the . In the final, they outscored Hasselborg 7-4 by stealing two in the ninth end for the $40,000 purse. The team repeated at the , defeating 5-2 with strong draws in the later ends to claim $50,000. In 2022, they swept two Slams: the Masters, where they beat Homan 7-6 with a double in the 10th end for $40,000, and the Champions Cup, overcoming Eun-jung Kim 8-7 in a high-scoring affair to secure another $50,000 purse. Their most recent triumph came at the 2024 Tour Challenge, stealing one in the extra end for a 5-4 win over Homan and the $40,000 prize. These victories highlight Sweeting's role in key strategic plays, such as precise guards and freezes, contributing to the team's undefeated finals record during her tenure.
EventYearRoleFinal OpponentScorePurse
Masters2014Skip (own team)Margaretha Sigfridsson (SWE)5-4$25,000
Tour Challenge2017Skip (own team)Anna (SWE)6-5 (extra end)$20,000
Players' Championship2019Third (Team Einarson)Anna (SWE)7-4$40,000
Players' Championship2021Third (Team Einarson) (CAN)5-2$50,000
Masters2022Third (Team Einarson) (CAN)7-6$40,000
Champions Cup2022Third (Team Einarson)Eun-jung Kim (KOR)8-7$50,000
Tour Challenge2024Third (Team Einarson) (CAN)5-4 (extra end)$40,000
Sweeting's Grand Slam record extends beyond these titles, with multiple playoff appearances in over 50 events, though exact participation figures vary by season. Her contributions have been pivotal in Team Einarson's sustained excellence, including top CTRS rankings that reflect their tour dominance. Prior to the modern Grand Slam format, Sweeting reached the final of the 2012 Colonial Square Ladies Classic, a discontinued women's event in the series, where she lost 6-5 in an extra end to Stefanie Lawton after a strong semifinal performance.

Personal life

Family and residence

Val Sweeting resides in Lottie Lake, , having relocated from her hometown of Redvers, , where she grew up immersed in the sport of . She shares her life with her long-term partner, Matt, and their son, Jaxen, born in 2013. Jaxen was diagnosed with SATB2 syndrome, a rare affecting speech, , and motor skills, in 2020; despite these challenges, he attends school, enjoys hockey, and has achieved milestones like learning to ride a bike. Sweeting has credited Jaxen's resilience and spirit with teaching her valuable lessons that strengthen her own perseverance on the ice, often drawing motivation from him during competitions. Matt plays a vital role in supporting Sweeting's career by managing daily life with Jaxen in , while she travels extensively for team events, allowing her to focus on her role as third for Team Einarson. The family occasionally reunites for meaningful moments, such as Sweeting spotting them in the stands before key games, which provide emotional grounding amid her demanding schedule.

Business and post-competitive pursuits

Val Sweeting owns and operates the Sweeting Wellness Company, a business specializing in and services for individuals and athletes. As a certified hypnotist with training from the University of Toronto's Clinical Hypnosis certificate program and membership in the National Guild of Hypnotists, Sweeting focuses on helping clients overcome mental obstacles, build confidence, and achieve goals through tailored sessions that address stress, anxiety, and performance enhancement. Her programs emphasize reprogramming subconscious patterns to foster personal growth, with applications particularly relevant to sports like , where she draws from her own competitive experience to support athletes in elevating their mental game. In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Sweeting works as a service delivery agent at the Case Processing Centre in , , a role she has held alongside her curling career. This position involves administrative support for immigration processing, allowing her to maintain professional stability while dedicating time to competitive and her wellness business. Sweeting has engaged in community efforts tied to and support, including participation in fundraising events for medical foundations. In May 2025, she joined the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation's Celebrity Golf Classic to raise funds for healthcare initiatives. Earlier, in 2022, she contributed to the Curling Cares Calendar project, directing proceeds to the SATB2 Gene Foundation in support of research related to her son's diagnosis. As of November 2025, at age 38, Sweeting continues to balance her active role on Team Einarson with these professional and community commitments, with no public announcements regarding retirement from competitive curling. Her wellness company represents a growing focus on mental health coaching, potentially positioning her for expanded post-competitive opportunities in sports psychology and athlete development.

References

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