24 October 2025
A home for all: How one club is growing curling through inclusion
At World Curling championships, it is not unusual for a team representing one nation to all be drawn from the same club. But when one club has five members playing for four different nations at the same event, as is the case at this year’s US Steel Pan Continental Championships, it stands out. The club in question is the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club in California, USA.
The nations represented are Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico and Puerto Rico, with athletes P.N. Raju and Sudheer Reddy competing for India, Amar Masalmeh for Saudi Arabia, Adriana Camarena for Mexico, and José Sepúlveda for Puerto Rico.
A Club built on inclusion
The fact that these competitors are representing such diverse nations highlights the club’s commitment to being an open door for anyone who wants to be involved in the sport of curling.
The club defines its identity with the mission: “our mission is to develop recreational and competitive curlers of all ages and abilities, and be a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in our sport.”
A welcoming home for new curlers
“The club was founded in the 60s and we’ve had dedicated ice for three years,” said Mexico’s skip Adriana Camarena.
“We pride ourselves on making a very welcome environment for anyone. That has attracted a lot of immigrants – like myself – and many others from backgrounds that are not traditional in the curling scene to become part of the sport.”
The club further reinforces this philosophy by stating, “we have a proud tradition of erasing barriers to participation and growing our sport to include communities who have historically been left out of curling clubs and programs. Today, our members include people of every background and ability.”
A clear commitment to respect
The organisation also sets out its stance on inclusion in personal expression and identity, “We respect every curler’s freedom to be themselves. We welcome curlers of all sexes, gender identities, and gender expressions to our club and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.”
On gender inclusion specifically, the club adds, “transgender and non-binary members are free to participate in all club activities however they identify. Gender identity will be treated with the same respect as all other identities.”
For the athletes currently competing at the US Steel Pan Continental Championships, this welcoming spirit has been life-changing. As Adriana notes, “we would not be involved in the sport apart from being in the club. Our own club-mates taught us how to curl and if it was not for them, we wouldn’t be here today.”
How to watch the US Steel Pan Continental Curling Championships
All A-Division games will be broadcast on the Curling Channel, however, there may be restrictions due to broadcast partner agreements.
Follow the live scores and results here.
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