The next Aksarben Curling member feature is none other than Erin Palmer!
Erin was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida where she grew up playing many sports like basketball, softball, and cross country. She got her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida (GO GATORS!) and currently works from home as a civil engineer for a firm out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Erin moved to Charlotte, where she married her now-husband, shortly after graduating from their separate universities. They moved to Lincoln, Nebraska two years ago so her husband could begin his law school education (and finally be an in-person Husker fan!). They currently reside in Lincoln with their Siberian husky, Ghost, and orange cat, Boba Fett.
Erin’s curling career began back in North Carolina when her friends decided to beat the Covid blues by learning to curl. It was something new and fun for them to try at the time. She quickly fell in love with the sport and signed up to play in a league. She played two seasons in North Carolina before moving to Nebraska. Once here, finding a curling club was at the top of her priority list and Erin soon found Aksarben Curling down the road in Omaha. The hour drive once a week is totally worth it to her and you’ll typically find Erin skipping during Sunday 4:30 league and subbing for the 6:30 league.
She reminisces fondly from when she first learned to curl. During one of the first games she played, she was still trying to figure out her rock delivery. When asked to throw a takeout, she gave it her all and managed to get a double takeout instead! She also recalled having a fun time playing with new people during several bonspiels and making it to the championship. Erin loves to broomstack anywhere with her teammates and opponents after games because of how interesting the curling community is. Erin’s favorite place she’s curled has to be the club in Charlotte, NC because of the dedicated ice and warm room. She hopes Aksarben can have a similar setup in the future.
Erin’s curling advice for other curlers, especially newer folks, is to play as much as you can. She notes that she saw major improvements in her delivery and strategy calling when she played three days a week. Playing doubles curling is also something she would recommend to others because of how much more you’re involved in the game strategy. Doubles is a good time to practice draws and build your confidence as a curler in general!
Besides curling, Erin likes being outside in nature. She especially likes taking her dog, Ghost, on outdoor adventures!
