Curling

Lore & Background

The sport was also known as 'the roaring game' because of the sound stones make over the pebble.

Reader's Guide

Curling became an official Olympic medal sport in 1998, with Canada dominating the medal counts. The sport's unique combination of strategy, teamwork, and physical skill—particularly the use of sweeping to influence the stone's path—has made it popular worldwide, with clubs and competitions in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. The World Curling Federation, based in Perth, Scotland, governs the sport internationally.

Did You Know?

• In the early history of curling, stones were flat-bottomed stones from rivers or fields, lacking handles and of inconsistent size and shape.
• Irons were used for curling not only in Canada, but also in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, until the early 1900s.

Leading Curling Canada and Championing Equality

Over her seven-year tenure, she prioritized grassroots growth, expanded marketing for championship events, and pushed for greater corporate backing and financial stability. When the pandemic struck, Henderson relied on a restructured governance model featuring a newly elected board of governors focused on strategy and risk, while member associations handled participant experience. Bi-weekly video calls kept the organization nimble, addressing marketing, government lobbying, and return-to-play protocols. She also oversaw concussion education, helmet use, and a universal code of conduct for players and coaches.

Stepping Into Hockey Canada's Turbulent Waters

Her appointment came in the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal that had driven away previous executives, corporate sponsors, and government funding. She became the first woman to hold the presidency in the organization's history, succeeding Scott Smith. Almost immediately after her announcement, Bauer Hockey reinstated its sponsorship, signaling a vote of confidence in her leadership. Henderson was candid about the magnitude of the task: she wanted to dismantle the toxic culture exposed by the scandal and ensure every Canadian could enjoy a personal hockey experience that felt safe and welcoming. Within her first week, she convened the Beyond the Boards Summit, a gathering focused on confronting issues such as elitism, gender-based violence, homophobia, misogyny, racism, and sexism within the sport. Reflecting on the event, Henderson noted how striking it was to see participants willing to acknowledge past mistakes and speak vulnerably about behaviors they were not proud of.

The 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games

Before her stints at Curling Canada and Hockey Canada, Henderson played a pivotal role in the Toronto Organizing Committee for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, serving as senior vice-president of marketing and revenue. In that capacity, she negotiated broadcasting rights and oversaw the sponsorship program, contributing to a tournament that set records for attendance, ticket sales, and television ratings. Henderson was also involved in shaping the games' social marketing strategy. When agency SapientNitro was brought on board, she emphasized a desire to capture the human element of the competition. She also championed the decision to launch the Pan American Torch relay in Thunder Bay, her hometown, explaining that uniting the north and the south carried deep symbolic meaning for the spirit of the games.

Roots, Education, and a Corporate Foundation

Katherine Henderson grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she first learned to skate at Carrick Park. Though her father and brother played hockey, she never took up the sport herself. Her academic path was notably eclectic: she earned a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from the University of Western Ontario, an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, and a Master of Theological Studies from the University of Toronto. Before entering sports administration, she spent seven years in marketing and management roles at Whirlpool Corporation's Canadian and American divisions, and held positions at Colgate-Palmolive Canada, Campbell Soup Company Canada, and General Mills Canada. This broad corporate background, spanning consumer goods, nutrition, and business strategy, equipped her with the commercial acumen she would later bring to major sporting organizations.