At least once a month for the past six years or so, from September through to April, Valerie Ouimet was likely to have been competing in a curling bonspiel. Often times, these events numbered more than one a month.

Such is the schedule one enjoys as a member of the Team Toner rink through their bantam and junior days, establishing themselves as one of the top young female foursomes in an age span of four to five years in northern Ontario.

Graduating from College Notre-Dame this past June and now enrolled in the Psychology and Linguistics stream at the University of Ottawa, her post-secondary studies set to commence in the fall, the 18 year old long-time vice to skip Mia Toner figured it was time for a change.

"At this point, school is going to be more of the focus for me, personally," said Ouimet, whose boatload of bonspiels typically also featured the younger Toner sister (Justine) as well as one of either Clara Dissanayake or Roxanne Fournier.

"I am moving away (from home), which is a really big step for someone who is a homebody like me - and I am taking a big step with my academic life. It doesn't take away from my love of the sport at all."

"I see myself as focusing on school and wanting to do well in school."

For as much as Ouimet has followed in the footsteps of so many top-end young Sudbury curlers whose dreams of nationals have been achieved, the young woman who is as balanced as they come stressed frequently that she enjoys curling now every bit as much as she did when she first stepped foot on the ice.

"It's not a matter of curling burnout," she said. "I just have things that are bigger priorities."

Some of that came to light during her final year at CND, one which drew the accolades of her local school board (CSCNO).

"I was part of our student council which allowed me to make a lot of connections with the students and the teachers," stated Ouimet. "I made a lot of presentations. That was kind of a fear of mine, but now I can talk in front of people with no worries."

And it's not as though she has shelved any potential involvement in curling completely. It's more a matter of stepping away from the kind of commitment that makes it hard to include a whole lot outside of academics to her plate at the university level.

"I am just a go with the flow kind of person," said Ouimet. "I'll go with the flow and see where this takes me. I have a few friends who said they want to try it (curling) out. Just teaching people the game and having fun with it is my main priority right now."

This pause from high-end competition will undoubtedly lead to times when the rush of memories from having accomplished so much so soon come cascading back, with those with whom they were shared right at the very forefront of that wave.

"I am so grateful for Lee and my dad (coaches Lee Toner and Luc Ouimet)," said Ouimet. "Without those two men in my curling career, I would not have gone as far as I did."

"I don't think our team would have done as well. Having my dad as my coach was just so special, to be able to share all of those super amazing moments: going to nationals, making it to provincials, growing as a team with the same two coaches."

Beyond the memories come the more tangible benefits, ones which can absolutely be carried into the challenges that await both in her studies and in life.

"Curling definitely helped me be more organized," said Ouimet. "I was never a person to write a schedule or have an itinerary - but I also wanted to spend time with family and friends."

"Those schedules helped me do all of the things that I love."

And while curling is still something that falls into that category for Ouimet, so too are other goals and ambitions and desires. For now, that means setting ultra competitive curling aside - and Valerie Ouimet is just fine with that.