Curler Brad Jacobs Wins Second Olympic Gold at Age 40

The curling rink where 10-year-old Brad Jacobs first picked up a stone is now located at 1 Team Jacobs Way, renamed in honor of his historic achievement.

Jacobs made Olympic history last winter in Italy, becoming the first men's curling skip to win two gold medals. His first came in 2014 in Russia, but the 40-year-old says the second one means more.

"Curling is so hard nowadays with all the young talent, all the countries out there coming up," Jacobs told a crowd of 120 people at the YNCU Curling Centre celebration Sunday. Coming back 14 years later made the victory even sweeter.

The journey started in this same building three decades ago when his mother brought him to what was then called Soo Curlers. Young Brad became obsessed, logging his "10,000 hours" between ages 12 and 18, falling asleep to VHS tapes of championship matches.

His dedication included watching the 1990 Brier tournament games "more than maybe anybody," Jacobs said. That tournament happened to take place just minutes from his local rink at Sault Memorial Gardens.

The Olympics weren't without controversy. Teammate Marc Kennedy faced accusations of illegally touching a stone during competition, with critics calling the team cheaters online. Jacobs addressed it head on at the celebration.

"I hope the image of us on top of the podium with our gold medals, embracing one another, is burned into your brains forever," he told doubters.

The Ripple Effect

Jacobs credited everyone who supported him over the years, from past and present teammates to the entire Sault Ste. Marie community. "I'm nothing without all of the people that have been there along this journey," he said.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker echoed that sentiment. "Brad's success reflects an entire community that believes in the sport, the coaches, the teammates, the volunteers," he said.

The celebration included a special lunch, autograph signing, and an award for former Team Jacobs coach Tom Coulterman, who received the Janet Arnott Exceptional Coach Award from Curling Canada.

Only the end of Anita Boulevard got the new name, affecting just the curling club's address. Jacobs joked about feeling bad for residents who might have to change their addresses, relieved to learn the club would be the only one impacted.

After traveling the world competing, Jacobs now brags about his home curling center, calling it among the top five in Canada. The kid who fell asleep watching curling tapes made history, and his hometown made sure he knows they noticed.