Ice Melters Curling Club

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Club Members

The Ice Melters Curling Club currently boasts 25 members.  Profiles of some club members are shown below.  Many are Oxford Brookes University Alumni [+] and / or former Utopians FC players [=] - an organisation from which the Ice Melters Curling Club was born.

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Playing Members

Chris Munns [+][=]

Introduced to the sport of curling in May 2002 after playing 'lead' for Les Hommes d'Angleterre (winners of the last place cup!) at the Viry Cup in Paris.  Formed the Ice Melters Curling Club in June 2003, having previously formed the Utopians FC in 1990.  A qualified tennis referee, Chris studied Tourism and Publishing at Oxford Brookes University and now lives near Eastbourne (having moved to the area for work).  When not curling, Chris is most likely to be found supporting Charlton Athletic or any of the local football clubs in Sussex.

Mark Le-Faye [+][=]

Mark took a PGCE course at Oxford Brookes University in 1990 and is now teaching in Dartford, Kent.  Although most sporting interests are as a spectator, Mark does enjoy long distance running and less strenuous activities such as golf and table tennis.  Any pretences to play for Utopians FC have now officially ended!  Mark's only previous experience on ice was an unpleasant one at Gillingham Ice Rink many years ago, but he was fascinated by the strategies of curling whilst watching our Olympic gold medal winning team in 2002.  Mark is the current Club President.

Pete Braithwaite [+][=]

After concentrating on racket sports for the majority of his youth, Pete decided he needed to take up a sport to reflect his maturing years.  Sadly not too many parachuting clubs exist in  Berkshire, so Pete decided that the next best thing was cleaning ice-rinks with brooms - also known by some as curling.  A qualified badminton coach, Pete is sure that his renowned sports tactics will come in really handy when he is sliding uncontrollably across the ice!  States his worst job to date as dressing up and walking the streets of Oxford as the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland - although Pete would also like to point out that he was a student at the time!

Paul Heffernan

Paul didn't study at Oxford Brookes and his football skills are sadly lacking.  Desperately in search of a minority sport (so there are fewer people better than him) and after nine years playing bowls at different levels, Paul decided that playing it on ice looked like much more fun.  After studying Computing at Portsmouth University, Paul now lives in Wiltshire, works as a computer programmer, and helps out at a wolf conservation centre at weekends.

Andrew Dodd

Having fallen in love with curling at both the Nagano and Salt Lake City Olympics, Andy took the adventurous step of travelling to the World Championships held at Bismarck, North Dakota in 2002 ... and fell in love with the sport even more!  Since then Andy has competed in various bonspiels around the world including, Paris (Viry), Cortina, Calgary and Scotland.  He is now looking to compete on a more regular basis.  Andy says he will never forget the first time he set foot on the ice as he resembled 'Bambi'!  Andrew is the club's current Match Secretary.

Mikael Thuresson

Mikael became the first overseas member of the Ice Melters Curling Club in November 2003.  Hailing from southern Sweden, he is also Chairman of Malmö Curlingklubb and is currently campaigning for the introduction of curling facilities in Malmö itself.  Mikael, who is an Area Sales Manager in the plastics industry, has been curling since the mid-1980s and represents the third generation of curlers from his family.

Steve Fromm

Steve has been playing outdoor curling in Scuol (Switzerland) since 1975, but according to Carola (Steve's wife) his ability to consume beer far exceeds any ability on the ice!  Having only curled twice indoors prior to the 2004/05 season, Steve is ready to offer this fact as an excuse to justify his (many) bad shots!  When not on the ice, Steve is a physiotherapist, but now in his mid-forties, is beginning to fall apart and is hardly a great advert for his profession!  Steve's other interests include golf and Arsenal FC.

Stella Dodd

Stella lives in Crawley, West Sussex, where she works part time at a local junior school.  She enjoys watching most sports and also plays the occasional round of golf.  Stella first watched curling at the 2002 Winter Olympics and will admit she didn’t expect that three years later she’d be giving it a try!  She has since represented the club at numerous bonspiels.

Richard Markoff

Richard finally caved into his patriotic Canadian responsibilities and took up curling in 1998 in Montreal.  Banished to Paris by L'Oreal for bad behaviour in 2001 (to work in Logistics) he rediscovered his love of curling with the Ice Melters CC at the 30th Viry Cup (2005).  Richard also enjoys reading just about anything, playing with his cat (Hector), eating his wife Stephanie's cooking and complaining about his job!

Other Playing Members

Michael Redman

Louisa Penny

Carola Fromm

Celia Minnaar

George Congalton

Trish Frizzell

Steffen Schröder

Chasper Sarrot

Jim Marmont

Non-Playing (Honorary) Members

Elliot Arazi [+][=]

Hayley Church

Chris Gooderham [+][=]

Liz Bullock [+]

Jason Cross [+][=]

Michelle Fitzgerald

Alan Morris