John and Team Canada are undefeated in Vancouver and playing well. Some big tests ahead but they had important wins against Norway in the first game and the nascent Swedes in their third contest.

And how about those Canadian curling uniforms? Brilliant, I think, and hats off to Mondetta for the shirts. It probably doesn’t hurt that top Canadian curler Jon Mead is the head of sales at Mondetta.

Of course, those shirts wouldn’t work quite so well if the players on the Canadian Team had nicknames like Lumpy or Tubby. But they’ve trained so hard for the last three years and it’s great to see such an athletic group on the ice. Playing, of course, against many other fit sides. I’m going to guess that at the end of a long tournament, there will be a direct correlation between fitness levels and the teams that are in the playoffs.

By the way, John tells me that he loves the atmosphere in the venue. Insanely loud, he says, but a ton of fun.

Finally, how about Cheryl Bernard? Her clutch shotmaking has Canada off to a 3-0 start. Yes, being mentally tough is essential when you have to make big shots in the 10th or 11th ends. But it’s a lot easier when your legs and your body are up to the task. Nobody trains harder than Cheryl and, at 43, she’s in the Olympic Games. She’s also in Fit to Curl, appearing in photos throughout the book.

— Dean Gemmell

We’re just days from the start of the Olympics and barely a week from the first curling in Vancouver. It’s a very exciting team for John and his teammates — after the years of work and preparation, it’s the reward. Competing in the Olympics must be an amazing thrill for any athlete.

Talk to the curling oddsmakers and they’ll tell you the two favorites on the men’s side are Canada and Great Britain. Unsurprisingly, these two rinks are also probably the fittest groups on the ice. This week, there was another article on fitness and its importance in curling.

Finally, if you’re at the Olympics and you want to pick up a copy of Fit to Curl, it will be available at the Goldline booth at the Vancouver Curling Club during the Games.

The Ottawa Citizen featured John in a Twenty Questions segment with a photo that’s quite appropriate for the author of Fit to Curl. Good stuff.

John and Team Martin/Canada will be playing at the next Capital One Grand Slam that runs from January 6th through the 10th at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph. If you want to pick up a copy of the book at the event, visit the Goldline booth in the arena and check this site for news on a possible signing during the Slam.

It’s your chance to meet an Olympian and get an autographed copy of Fit to Curl.

John Morris will be appearing at the Ottawa Curling Club on Saturday, December 19th from 2-5 PM for a special book signing. Not only will you be able to get a book with John’s signature, you’ll have a chance to win some great door prizes including an autographed, game-worn (don’t worry, it’s been laundered) Team Canada shirt, a Team Martin Goldline brush with the signatures of the entire team and a one-hour curling lesson with Johnny Mo himself. What’s more, the first 100 people at the event will receive an autographed Team Martin photo.

If you’re in the Ottawa area, don’t miss out. Pick up a copy of Fit to Curl for yourself or for the curlers on your holiday shopping list and wish John the best at the Vancouver Games.

Three-plus years of training, practice and hard work paid off for John and his teammates — Kevin Martin, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert — when they defeated Team Howard in the finals of the Canadian Curling Trials yesterday. After a somewhat sluggish start in Edmonton, Team Martin showed that champions know how to turn things around. By the end of the week, they were firing on all cylinders, playing with confidence and determination.

It reflects well on the CCA’s Olympic team selection process that it was Howard vs. Martin in the final game. Over the last three years, these have clearly been the two best teams. Watching these rinks battle has been a gift for curling fans — rarely has the sport seen an era with two teams this good.

Interestingly, Fit to Curl has a strong link to the women’s champion as well — Cheryl Bernard is featured in many of the exercise photos in the book. Cheryl is always quick to acknowledge how important her fitness routine has been to her performance on the ice. I think she’s playing better than she ever has in her career and some of that can be attributed to the commitment she has made in the gym. Congratulations to Cheryl, Susan O’Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire and and Cori Bartel.

We’ll have copies of the book signed by Johnny Mo in Edmonton during the Roar. They’ll be available in the lobby of the Coliseum Inn — adjacent to Rexall Place and, I’m informed, newly renovated — for one hour prior to the start of each draw on Monday and Tuesday. I’ll be at a table in the lobby, somewhat drowsy if it’s in the morning before the 8:30 AM draw.

This is a great chance to pick up a gift for that hard-to-shop-for curler on your holiday list. No shipping charges and John’s signature. If you bring your copy of the book to one of the autograph sessions during the Roar, I’m sure John will personalize it for you as well.

— Dean Gemmell

The Grey Power World Cup of Curling gets underway this Wednesday evening in Mississauga, Ontario, at the Hershey Centre. John will, of course, be playing in this event with Team Martin. With the lineup of great Canadian and international rinks, the curling should be extraordinary.

Fit to Curl will be available for sale at the Goldline booth in the Hershey Centre. What’s more, John will be signing books at least once during the event. With 14 men’s teams in two round-robin pools — and the women’s Three Nations cup happening at the same time — the schedule is jam-packed. Right now, it looks as though the first signing will be on Friday following Team Martin’s 1 PM game against Team Koe. Another signing is possible on the weekend but it depends upon the results of the round-robin.

If you want to see some great curling, get Fit to Curl and meet John Morris at a book signing, get yourself to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga for the Grey Power World Cup of Curling.

John and his teammates are at the West Coast Curling Classic this weekend. This event has a great field  — plenty of teams that are still in the mix to be Canada’s Olympic team and some of the teams that will be in Vancouver representing other countries.

Speaking of the Olympics, an article by Kristina Rutherford about Fit to Curl also appeared today. You can find at at CTV’s Olympics site.

The story is well done, focusing not only on the book but the changes that have occurred in curling in the last 5-10 years.

After working on this project for some time, John and I are pleased to find that orders are coming in quickly and that the feedback about the book has been so positive. We’ve begun shipping online orders and we’re looking forward to getting Fit to Curl into the hands of more and more players.

If you’re in the Brockville area, Team Martin will be playing in the AMJ Campbell Van Lines Shorty Jenkins Classic from September 17-20. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at this event.

Two years. Hundreds of phone calls. Even more emails. And now, a book.

Most people know that John Morris has spent the last few years playing Third for Team Kevin Martin, winning two Tim Hortons Brier crowns, a world championship and five Capital One Grand Slam titles. Somehow, he also found time to work with me on fitness programs designed specifically for curling.

They’re now in a book, Fit to Curl, the first sport-specific guide to training for the world’s greatest game. Not only can it help curlers of all levels improve their play and enjoy the game more, it goes a long way towards proving that curling is a demanding, physical activity.

Right now, the ink is going on the paper and the book will ship starting on September 8th. You can order your copy now by clicking on the BUY link that’s just above this post.