Joshua Kirilenko on the sheet of curling ice. (Image Credit: Joshua Kirilenko/ Facebook)

By Alyssa Rudolph

LOCAL TALENT

Meadow Lake curler to represent Saskatchewan at Canadian U20 Championship

Mar 4, 2026 | 3:24 PM

“I have been curling for as long as I can remember,” said Joshua Kirilenko, a curler from Meadow Lake who will represent Team Saskatchewan at the Canadian Under-20 Curling Championship in Ontario. 

Kirilenko recalled his love for the sport beginning at a young age while watching a curling game on TV at his babysitter’s house. 

“I think the first time I was on the ice; I was only four and then I started curling in the men’s league here in Meadow Lake when I was in Grade 3,” he said.

He has shown that same love and determination for the sport throughout his life, which has slowly led him to the level he is at today.  

“I curl two nights a week in league, and then when I’m not curling league, usually two or three other times a week, I’m going down to the rink to throw rocks and work on my slide and my delivery and all the little things that you can’t work on in a game,” he said.  

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Before the provincial championship started, Kirilenko posted on social media hoping to find a team to join. In response, a team skip from Saskatoon reached out to him, that’s how he joined Team Robinson as lead. 

Team Robinson, Joshua Kirilenko is pictured second from the right. (Image Credit: Joshua Kirilenko/ Facebook)

“At first, I was a little nervous. I didn’t know anyone, but we bonded well and we curled very well together. It’s just been a really good experience and now I’ve made one of my dreams of going to nationals.” 

For the young curler, this accomplishment is especially cherished; just two years ago, he tore his ACL and feared he might never return to the sport. 

“Just working back from that, and being able to still curl and curl as much as I have has been nice because I thought, well, maybe now that my knee is all banged up, I won’t be able to do as much as I want to, but I’ve been able to,” Kirilenko said.  

All the curlers on Team Robinson hope to meet again before the end of March for a few more practices, but coordinating can be difficult since they live in different parts of the province.  

“Separately, we’re all putting in endless amounts of hours to work and improve our game on our own time and just really putting the work to bring ourselves to the next level, which we’ll need to have for nationals here,” he said. 

Team Robinson, along with two other U20 teams representing Saskatchewan, will give it their all in pursuit of the championship title, and the opportunity to represent Team Canada at the 2027 World Junior Curling Championship. 

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com