Over the course of three years, director Josephine Anderson, follows a group of five girls as they work towards their ultimate goal of becoming Canadian National Curling Champions.  Hannah, Brook, Sav, Ashley, and Amy bond through their love of the sport, forming a strong sisterhood.  It’s a relationship they see amongst some of their mothers as well, who were curling champions themselves, eventually winning bronze for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Anderson didn’t exactly know what she was going to get, following the members of the so called 4kGirl$ curling team.  Whether their hard work would eventually lead to triumph was an unknown entity, but that never seems to be the point. This is much more about the journey rather than the destination. Instead, she crafts a touching coming-of-age documentary, following the teenagers during the often difficult transition from child to adult.

Together, they deal with anxiety and mental health concerns, body image issues, insecurities, all things sadly familiar to most teenaged girls. They do this set amongst the environment of the curling world.  And while they train hard, like any other serious athlete, they also feel their sport is overlooked.  They are conscious of the misconceptions about curling, but on the ice is where they feel most confident, most at home.

Anderson has chosen her subjects well, a group that are willing to be vulnerable and honest with their emotions and thoughts.  Yet, their wins and losses on the ice, as much as in life, are captured without being overly sentimental.  It’s refreshing to see a film where young woman support one another unconditionally.  They define what it means to be a true team.  Champions or not (no spoilers), these young woman are inspiring in their strength, both within themselves and in their friendship.