Team Jones from Nova Scotia has had a wildly successful career on the women's curling circuit, sweeping their way to two provincial titles, two national championships and one world championship.

What is less known about Team Jones is the personality behind the players. Each is a busy mom who doesn't compromise when it comes to family life. It's this dedication to the home team that attracted new corporate sponsor, Whirlpool Canada Inc. to the team. Whirlpool's goal is to help team members to achieve their dreams - both at home and on the ice.

"Family is the priority for everyone on this team," said Nancy Delahunt, the team's lead. "While we all have a passion for curling and love to compete, our families come first."

This is easier said than done for a team that goes through three team and three individual practices every week. Throw in weekend tournaments that require extensive travel and you've got a group of busy moms. Is it possible to keep up? You bet. Here's who they are and how they do it:



Colleen Jones - Skip
Colleen Jones' career on the ice is impressive. The 44-year-old skip holds more Canadian Championships than any other curler - ever. This year's trip to the Scott marks her 16th journey to a Canadian Ladies Championship. She's a four-time women's national champion and has been to the mixed national competition twice. Without question, she's one of Canada's best.

Colleen's family life away from curling doesn't necessarily get her out of the rink. This is because her two sons, Zach and Luke, are both goaltenders on local hockey teams. Between her own tournaments and practices, and her sons practices and tournaments, she logs a lot of time at the rink.

"I probably spend more time on the ice than Pat Quinn," says Jones.

When not on the ice, Colleen is also kept busy with her career on a national television show, which gets her out of bed every day at 4:45 a.m. Despite the early hour, she says she's very happy with her job because it frees up her afternoons to shop for groceries and get her sons to their after-school activities.



Nancy Delahunt - Lead
Nancy, originally from Montreal, joined Team Jones in 1995. She's a stay at home mom who focuses almost all of her energies off the ice raising her two children - Jane and Kevin.

Nancy's kids keep her moving. Activities like Girl Guides, piano, lacrosse, dance lessons and hockey are all part of a typical week in the Delahunt home. Thorough planning is Nancy's strategy for staying on top of it all. For example, before leaving for a tournament, Nancy will map out her family's activities for the entire time she's away and make sure everyone is looked after. That way, when she hits the ice she can focus on the game.

Nancy also keeps active to stay sharp on the ice. She plays golf and tennis in the summer, and hits the gym for workouts throughout the year.



Mary-Anne Waye - Second
At 34, Mary-Anne is the baby of Team Jones. As a young mom though, she isn't overwhelmed by the publicity she's received from curling. Her focus is family life.

"My family gives me a sense of immortality," she says. "With curling you see many good teams hit their peak and then fizzle out in time. You know the peak can't last forever, while your family is always there for you."

Professionally, she works three and a half days a week as a massage therapist at a clinic she owns with her business partner. Two days a week Mary-Anne is able to spend time at home with her little girl Lauren, who just turned four. Lauren calls these "hangin' out" days.

Mary-Anne deals with the pressures of curling and owning her own business by taking vacations with her family. They go camping and get away to their cottage throughout the year.



Kim Kelly - Third
Kim spends part of her time away from the rink working on a part-time basis as a pharmacist. She works five days over a two-week period, which helps her juggle her professional career with her family life and curling.

Madison and Brett, Kim's two children, are enormously important to Kim. She likes to spend time volunteering at Ian Foresyth Elementary, where her kids attend school. She also makes sure to devote time every evening to helping her kids with their homework. This takes real dedication considering she often spends an hour or two at late-afternoon curling practices throughout the week.