Curling coach from P.E.I. helps lead Olympic team to first-ever win

After more than 25 years hoping he'd make his way to the Olympics, Craig Savill finally did it. 

The curler-turned-coach, who's originally from Ontario but now lives in Kensington, P.E.I., is participating in the Milano-Cortino games as a coach for the Czechia men's curling team. 

"It's been a lifelong dream that's finally come true," Savill told Mainstreet P.E.I. host Steve Bruce. 

"All that hard work and all of that sacrifice that I've made and my family's made — it finally paid off."

Savill's path to the Olympics wasn't a conventional one. 

He came very close to participating as an athlete, but thought his Olympic dreams were over when his playing career ended. 

Then, after two battles with cancer, he helped lead an unlikely team to the competition on the world stage. 

Savill said he didn't see the opportunity to coach the Czech team as a "ticket to the Olympics at all." 

"To get these guys to the Olympics, this was a bit of a stretch goal for us," he said. 

"At the time when I started coaching them, they were ranked, I think, about 65th in the world."

Now, the Czechia men's curling team has secured its first-ever Olympic win. But Savill said he can remember the moment he found out the team would be going to the games. 

He was on a flight back to Ottawa on his way home from the World Championships in Saskatoon. He said the worst part was not being with them when it happened. 

"We end up winning, and I'm shouting and bawling on the plane," he said. 

"It's bringing back lots of emotions right now too, because it meant so much."