USA Curling

U.S. Clubs

Curling 101

Photo by Michael Burns Jr.

• Olympic Winter Games: 2006 (8th)
• World Curling Championships: 2005 (silver)
• U.S. National Championships: 2005 (champion), 2004, 2003, 2002 (semifinalist all three years)
• U.S. Olympic Team Trials: 2006 (gold), 2002 (bronze)
• U.S. Junior Nationals: 2003 (champion), 2002 (champion); 2001 (silver), 2000 (bronze), 1999 (bronze), 1998 (silver), 1996 (bronze)
• Junior Worlds: 2003 (silver), 2002 (gold), 1998 (5th as alternate)
• USA Curling Female Athlete of the Year: 2005
• USA Curling Team of the Year: 2005, 2002
• Frances Brodie Award for sportsmanship at world championships: 2005
• Minnesota State Women's Championship: 2004 (champion)
• Wisconsin State Women's Championship: 2003 (champion)
• Minnesota State Junior Women's Championship: 6-time champion
• Karuizawa, Japan, International Bonspiel: 2005 (silver medalist)
• Named to the World Juniors All-Star Team in 2002 as skip
• Winner of the Curtis Cup (team sportsmanship award) at U.S. Junior Nationals in 1999 and 2000
• 1996 - Cassandra's team was invited to participate in the Elite Women's Curling Camp held in Winnipeg, Canada, which involved the International Olympic Committee and instructor Ray Turnbull.
• 2004-05 Competitive Results

About Cassandra Johnson:

View childhood photos Nickname: Cassie In her own words: "Curling has been in my family for many generations, starting with my great-grandpa and continuing on with my grandparents and my parents. As a child, I would tag along with my parents to watch them curl, and it wasn't until I was 6 years old that I tried it for myself. I participated in a youth program in Bemidji that, at the same time as myself, contained many curlers who grew up to become national and world competitors. In fact, my sister recently found a videotape of the two of us trying curling for the first time, and we found ourselves laughing pretty hard because of the way we looked sliding and sweeping. My sister and I gained a lot of experience watching our parents curl. My mom and dad have competed many times at the national level, and my dad went on to compete in consecutive World competitions in 1993 and 1994."

What I most enjoy about curling: "I love all the friends I have made through the sport of curling. I love that every time I go to a bonspiel or competition there are always people that I know there. It's fun to be able to hang out with friends who share the same passion for curling as I do, whether it's watching a game during nationals in a different city, or having a one-on-one practice game at home. Sometimes I see certain friends only once or twice a year, but I keep in touch with them through e-mail. Some of the most fun and unique friends I have have been made through curling."

Other family members who curl: "Both my parents curl, my sister, and also my grandparents, aunts and great-grandfather."

Other sports I enjoy: "I love to play tennis during the summer. In high school I was on the varsity tennis team, and during my junior and senior years, our team won our sub-section title and went on to state sections. We lost in my junior year, but when I was in my senior year we won and went on the state competition, where we won the consolation championship."

My curling strengths: "I have been told many times that I am very patient as a skip. I don't get frustrated very easily, and I don't let little or big things bother me during a competition. I try to focus on the game at hand and think about each shot at present, not about anything that happened in the past. Not too long ago, I heard a saying that I really liked and that fits my thoughts about going into a curling competition. It is: 'If you aren't willing to lose, you can never win.'"

Hobbies: Fishing, dancing, boating, traveling, website design, listening to music, running, shopping, tennis, barbeques, movie nights, cooking

Something unique about me: "Something interesting about me that not many people know about is that I have a heart murmur that I was diagnosed with when I was about 12. It was something I was born with, but it was never noticed until I was older. Also, when people ask me how long I have been curling, they're always surprised when I say that I started when I was in kindergarten."

Cartoon character that best represents her personality: Rainbow Bright

Favorite athlete(s) to watch: Any curling team from Canada

Other Olympic sport she'd like to try: Snowboarding or hockey

Curling heroes: Guy Hemmings and "Anyone willing to take a chance and show that they really love the thrill of curling."

Favorite motivational quote: "If you can dream it, you can achieve it. If you believe it, it will become."