Bella and Piper - Winning On and Off the Ice

When it comes to curling, the names Bella and Piper Lehtimaki Croisier are well-known in Northern Ontario. Often mistaken for twins, these sisters have been representing Sudbury on the ice since they were young. They have won multiple provincial titles and even brought home two national championships.

Their parents, who were always involved in curling, got the girls started in the little rocks programs when they were young. Piper was a figure skater at the time, but soon she would trade in her skates for curling shoes. Bella and Piper started curling competitively at 13 and 11, respectively. 

The carpooling benefits and the girl’s competitive fire and passions made it a natural fit for them to play together. Despite being siblings, they describe playing together as an advantage. They know each other so well that they know what each other needs without saying it. On top of that, they get to experience the wins and the losses as a family. After winning a national championship, Piper described the amazing moment of hugging her sister and running down the ice to their father, who was their coach. These experiences are created by playing together, and it’s moments like those that the girls couldn’t imagine playing this sport alone. 

Off the ice, the sisters are inseparable. They have never lived apart, go to the same school, share a car, and are rarely found without each other. "Thank god we like each other," they laugh. 

When the opportunity presented itself to play on the Laurentian Women's Curling team, it was a no-brainer for them to agree to it together.

In their first year on the team, Bella, Piper, and their teammates Abby Deschene and Julia Deklein brought home hardware from the OUA and USPORTS championships. The USPORT Nationals was particularly special as it was hosted in Sudbury. Winning the bronze medal and having their friends and family cheering them on with pots and pans was an experience they will never forget.

Looking to the future, Bella will be graduating with her Forensics Science degree, and she hopes to return to school in the fall to go to med school soon after. Piper has two years left in her Sports Administration degree, and as a Marymount alumnus, she knows they still have a couple of years left to improve their USPORT bronze.

On the competitive side, both sisters still have the same goal they did when they were young: to one day walk into an Olympic opening ceremony with the Canadian flag on their backs. They know they will be together if they ever make it there. The Lehtimaki Croisier sisters are a force to be reckoned with on the curling rink, proving that playing with family can be advantageous.