TORONTO—Not much goes on in the quaint little town of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, where Carter Henry grew up. He lived there with his brother, mom, dad and dog, in a close-knit community. But Henry's family was far from ordinary—he grew up in a curling dynasty. His aunt, Debbie McCormick, is a four-time Olympian and World Champion curler, and was coached by her father Wally Henry, who is also Henry's grandfather. With such a family legacy, it was no question that Henry was going to start curling.

"It was here's the ice, here's curling, hope you like it, because you're going to be doing it for a bit at least," said Henry.

He started curling at the age of six at the Madison Curling Club, a place which eventually became a second home for him. He recalls running around the club as a young kid while his father curled and his mother watched. 
 

Henry shared that he couldn't really pinpoint when he first fell in love with curling, "I feel like I was already in love with it before I even got to the ice."

Watching his aunt compete in the Olympics sparked a fire in him, and ever since, he hasn't stopped curling.

In 2014, Henry won his first Bonspiel at the Madison Curling Club, a victory he still remembers vividly. He was part of the developmental side, playing with other kids he knew through the club's junior program. Despite the small scale of the tournament, the win left a lasting impression on him. 

While curling was a major part of Henry's life, he also enjoyed his creative side. In high school he participated in theatre and show choirs. Photography, in particular, was a passion of his that began in kindergarten and continued to grow.

When it came time for Henry to explore post-secondary options, he knew he wanted three things: curl, pursue photography, and live in the city. With Canadian citizenship through his father, who was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Henry decided to look into schools in Canada. That was when he discovered Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

"Toronto kind of just was the spot, it ticked all the boxes," Henry explained.

After visiting the campus for the first time a couple of months before moving to the city, he instantly fell in love with TMU.

Moving to a new country on his own was an adjustment, but Henry quickly found his community through curling at TMU.
  "Curling was really the first place I found friends. I found my community and I found my people," said Henry. 

Despite all the many changes of leaving home, curling was one thing that stayed constant as he formed stability and routine. He quickly built a second family with his teammates, finding his place in the bustling city of Toronto. 

Being a university athlete also allowed Henry the chance to explore Ontario, traveling to cities such as Guelph, Kingston, and North Bay with his team. Henry combined his two passions last semester when he worked on a project where he captured images of the different curling clubs he visited.

"When I can, I do love to put [photography and curling] together because they are two things I do love so much," said Henry.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Henry has always felt welcomed at TMU.

"They've got a great community. You can find your people wherever you go, both in your studies and then also extracurriculars, said Henry. He appreciates how TMU diversifies its sports culture, adding, "I feel it's very accepting no matter where you go at TMU."

After two curling seasons with the TMU Bold, Henry has noticed significant improvements in his skills. He attributes lots of his growth to his first-year coach, Perry Marshall. 
 

"He taught me a lot, and he worked with me one-on-one, and then all of us collectively as a team, which really helped grow my skill," said Henry.

This growth has translated into Henry's outside of school play as well. In the summer of 2024, he joined Team Garner. This year, the team was able to reach their ultimate goal of qualifying for junior nationals. In March, Team Garner represented Ontario at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships.

Looking towards the future, Henry hopes to qualify for the U SPORTS Curling Championship before he finishes his university career and to continue competing outside of TMU in his final year in the U20 division.