WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.020 Welcome to today's deep dive. Yes, welcome. Whether 00:00:03.020 --> 00:00:05.960 you are joining us for the very first time or, 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:07.719 you know, you're a longtime listener returning 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:10.660 to explore another hidden corner of history with 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:13.839 us, you are in exactly the right place. We're 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:15.599 thrilled to have you here. We really are. And 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.440 today our focus is on a pretty fascinating set 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.120 of source materials. Fascinating. And frankly. 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:25.600 a bit deceptive at first glance right we are 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.100 examining this brief but incredibly dense wikipedia 00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:32.439 stub concerning an american curler named mary 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.600 van s just a few sentences really yeah exactly 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:38.469 yeah But alongside that entry, our sources include 00:00:38.469 --> 00:00:40.490 these foundational citations that back up her 00:00:40.490 --> 00:00:42.789 record. Things like the United States Women's 00:00:42.789 --> 00:00:45.429 Curling Association Historical Review, Official 00:00:45.429 --> 00:00:48.590 USA Curling Records. And I love this title, a 00:00:48.590 --> 00:00:50.869 wonderfully titled archival piece from Curling 00:00:50.869 --> 00:00:53.789 News called Tales from Sheet 9. It's the ultimate 00:00:53.789 --> 00:00:56.429 example of why we cannot judge the historical 00:00:56.429 --> 00:00:59.049 weight of a document by its word count alone. 00:00:59.329 --> 00:01:01.700 Oh, absolutely not. I mean, a few sentences on 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.260 a digital page might seem inconsequential at 00:01:04.260 --> 00:01:06.799 first glance, but when you look closely at the 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:10.079 citations and the timeline presented, you realize 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:13.400 you are looking at the condensed blueprint of 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:16.890 an entire career. It's dense. It is a masterclass 00:01:16.890 --> 00:01:19.569 in reading between the lines of historical records 00:01:19.569 --> 00:01:22.930 to uncover the unseen architecture of a sport. 00:01:23.049 --> 00:01:25.829 Which is precisely our mission for today. We 00:01:25.829 --> 00:01:28.109 are going to deconstruct the trajectory of a 00:01:28.109 --> 00:01:30.370 true pioneer in American sports administration. 00:01:30.870 --> 00:01:32.629 And really understand the anatomy of leadership. 00:01:32.989 --> 00:01:35.370 Right. Specifically how an individual transitions 00:01:35.370 --> 00:01:39.349 from, say, managing a local community ice rink 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:41.689 to standing on the international stage at the 00:01:41.689 --> 00:01:43.849 Winter Olympics. Shaping the global future of 00:01:43.849 --> 00:01:46.239 an athletic. discipline. Yeah. Okay. Let's unpack 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.319 this because it is genuinely remarkable to dissect 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:52.739 the relentless methodical climb required to build 00:01:52.739 --> 00:01:55.040 a legacy of this magnitude from the ground up. 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:57.379 It really is. And the foundational aspect of 00:01:57.379 --> 00:01:59.819 her career is arguably the most instructive part 00:01:59.819 --> 00:02:02.420 of the entire narrative. How so? Well, when we 00:02:02.420 --> 00:02:04.379 analyze the origins of global sports figures, 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.180 we often look for a dramatic inciting incident, 00:02:07.219 --> 00:02:09.560 right? Like a movie montage or something. Exactly. 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:11.860 But the reality of administrative leadership 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:15.020 is usually much more grounded. Very grounded. 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:19.919 In 1976 and 1977, Mary Van Ness served as the 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:22.719 president of the Women's Wauwatosa Curling Club. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.500 Wauwatosa. Yes. We are talking about a highly 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:29.360 specific, geographically localized community 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.699 in Wisconsin. And that hyperlocal starting point 00:02:32.699 --> 00:02:35.840 is crucial to understand for you listening. Definitely. 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.340 Taking the helm of the Wauwatosa Club in the 00:02:38.340 --> 00:02:41.000 mid -70s meant she wasn't stepping into some 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.780 heavily funded, well -oiled corporate machine. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.180 Not at all. She was stepping into a purely grassroots 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:48.439 environment. You're managing volunteer schedules. 00:02:48.659 --> 00:02:50.620 Yeah, negotiating ice time at the local rink. 00:02:50.780 --> 00:02:53.020 Balancing incredibly tight. community budgets. 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:56.080 And let's be real, mediating the inevitable interpersonal 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.360 disputes that pop up in literally any local organization. 00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:01.879 Oh, the local politics are always the fiercest. 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:04.819 It is the unglamorous nuts and bolts work of 00:03:04.819 --> 00:03:07.800 keeping a community tradition alive. If we connect 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.560 this to the bigger picture, community level leadership 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.439 is the ultimate crucible for large scale administrative 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.639 roles. I like that word crucible. It's true, 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.259 though. The friction you encounter when running 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:22.969 a local club. forces you to develop a highly 00:03:22.969 --> 00:03:25.490 adaptable operational toolkit. Because you can't 00:03:25.490 --> 00:03:27.990 just pass the buck. Right. When you are the president 00:03:27.990 --> 00:03:30.990 of a local organization, you cannot hide behind 00:03:30.990 --> 00:03:34.030 layers of bureaucracy. You are directly accountable 00:03:34.030 --> 00:03:36.659 to your neighbors and your peers. They know where 00:03:36.659 --> 00:03:39.699 you live. Exactly. Earning their trust and effectively 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:42.379 managing their resources requires a level of 00:03:42.379 --> 00:03:45.219 diplomatic agility that becomes absolutely essential 00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:48.020 later on. And that diplomatic agility clearly 00:03:48.020 --> 00:03:50.879 paid dividends very quickly for her. Incredibly 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:53.439 quickly. Because the local visibility she achieved 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:56.659 at Wauwatosa translated into national trust in 00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:58.699 a remarkably short period. Just a few years. 00:03:58.900 --> 00:04:01.400 Yeah. By 1980, just a few years after running 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:04.180 her local club, she was tapped to lead the United 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:07.180 States Women's Curling. Association as its president. 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.719 A role she held until 1981. Right. Transitioning 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:13.280 from a single club in Wisconsin to governing 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.220 the entire national apparatus of women's curling. 00:04:16.379 --> 00:04:19.259 That is a monumental pivot in scope. It requires 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:21.639 a complete recalibration of your strategic vision. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:24.240 Because you're no longer just dealing with Wauwatosa. 00:04:24.459 --> 00:04:27.600 Right. Nationalizing a sport, especially a niche 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.819 sport, trying to expand its footprint means you 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:33.319 are no longer just thinking about ice time in 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.069 one town. You're tasked with standardizing rules 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:38.610 across different regions. Coordinating national 00:04:38.610 --> 00:04:41.389 tournaments. And bridging the cultural gaps between 00:04:41.389 --> 00:04:44.129 curling clubs that might have entirely different 00:04:44.129 --> 00:04:47.050 local traditions. You have to synthesize those 00:04:47.050 --> 00:04:50.170 disparate local voices into a unified national 00:04:50.170 --> 00:04:52.970 direction. And doing that successfully requires 00:04:52.970 --> 00:04:55.949 an immense amount of operational stamina. Absolutely. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.519 I mean, think about it. You are coordinating 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.740 across time zones, navigating regional politics, 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.879 and doing all of this long before the era of 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:08.040 instant digital communication. No email. No smartphones, 00:05:08.339 --> 00:05:12.040 just landlines and mailed newsletters. It makes 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:13.980 you realize that being elected to a national 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:16.259 presidency isn't a sudden stroke of luck. Not 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:18.819 at all. It is the direct result of proving your 00:05:18.819 --> 00:05:21.459 competence at the grassroots level, where your 00:05:21.459 --> 00:05:23.920 ability to execute is highly visible to the broader 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.350 community. Which is exactly... why I want to 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:29.649 invite you, the listener, to consider your own 00:05:29.649 --> 00:05:32.290 professional or personal spheres for a moment. 00:05:32.430 --> 00:05:34.629 Yeah, think about your own life. Think about 00:05:34.629 --> 00:05:36.949 the local committees, the neighborhood associations, 00:05:37.149 --> 00:05:39.610 or the grassroots industry groups you might participate 00:05:39.610 --> 00:05:44.490 in. PTA, local sports leagues. Exactly. We often 00:05:44.490 --> 00:05:47.350 artificially separate those community roles from 00:05:47.350 --> 00:05:51.170 national or global leadership. We view them as 00:05:51.170 --> 00:05:53.290 entirely different worlds. Like they don't connect. 00:05:53.569 --> 00:05:56.069 Right. But this trajectory proves that taking 00:05:56.069 --> 00:05:58.949 the reins locally is never a dead end. Never. 00:05:59.029 --> 00:06:01.470 The skills you forge while organizing a neighborhood 00:06:01.470 --> 00:06:04.029 initiative or a local professional chapter are 00:06:04.029 --> 00:06:06.389 the exact same mechanics required to govern on 00:06:06.389 --> 00:06:09.009 a macro scale. The scale changes. But the fundamental 00:06:09.009 --> 00:06:11.550 architecture of leadership remains the same. 00:06:11.670 --> 00:06:13.970 That is such a powerful framework to keep in 00:06:13.970 --> 00:06:16.250 mind, especially as we trace her career into 00:06:16.250 --> 00:06:19.149 the 1980s. Because she doesn't stop there. No, 00:06:19.170 --> 00:06:21.970 she doesn't. That operational stamina she built 00:06:21.970 --> 00:06:24.250 nationally did not just cap out at the borders 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:27.569 of the United States. By 1981, she steps into 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:30.269 a role that requires an entirely different geopolitical 00:06:30.269 --> 00:06:33.939 toolkit. Yeah, for an entire decade. From 1981 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:38.120 until 1991, she served as the United States representative 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:41.100 to the International Curling Federation. Taking 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:42.779 on the role of an international representative 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:45.579 is a massive transition. You go from domestic 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:50.000 logistics to global diplomacy. Exactly. The International 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.339 Curling Federation in the 1980s was an organization 00:06:53.339 --> 00:06:56.339 dealing with the growing pains of a sport that 00:06:56.339 --> 00:06:59.160 was trying to expand its reach. Beyond its traditional 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:01.939 strongholds like Scotland or Canada. Right. As 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:03.980 the U .S. representative, she had to navigate 00:07:03.980 --> 00:07:06.759 language barriers, cultural differences in how 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.100 the game was played and managed, and the competing 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:11.839 interests of various national federations. All 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.279 while advocating for the American perspective. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:16.500 Which is a tough balancing act. And the sources 00:07:16.500 --> 00:07:19.319 highlight that she wasn't merely a passive attendee 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:21.439 at these international summits. Far from it. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.079 Out of that 10 -year diplomatic stint, she served 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:26.519 on the Federation's Ladies Committee for six 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:28.860 years. Not just served. Right. She was elected 00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:30.779 as the president of that committee for two of 00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:33.240 those years. This indicates a deeply proactive 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:35.800 approach to shaping the global landscape of the 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.620 sport. Particularly for women competitors. Who 00:07:38.620 --> 00:07:40.600 were fighting for equal standing, resources, 00:07:40.699 --> 00:07:43.600 and recognition on the world stage at that time. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:45.860 Serving as the president of the Ladies Committee 00:07:45.860 --> 00:07:48.540 within an international federation that is a 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:52.439 highly complex advocacy role. You are tasked 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.379 with elevating the women's game globally. Which 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:57.920 often means pushing against entrenched institutional 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:01.100 inertia. You have to convince the broader federation. 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:03.680 To invest in women's world championships. To 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.100 standardize competitive opportunities. And to 00:08:06.100 --> 00:08:08.279 treat the women's division with the exact same 00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:10.740 structural respect as the men's. It requires 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:13.699 a delicate balance of firm advocacy and collaborative 00:08:13.699 --> 00:08:17.000 diplomacy to ensure that all member nations move 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:20.040 forward together. And that decade of relentless 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:23.360 international advocacy perfectly sets the stage 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:25.680 for what is arguably the most high stakes chapter 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:27.660 of her career. Oh, absolutely. Here's where it 00:08:27.660 --> 00:08:29.639 gets really interesting. The Olympics. The Olympics. 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:33.240 In 1988, while still serving as the international 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:36.200 representative, Mary Van Ness managed the United 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:39.000 States' women's curling team at the Winter Olympics 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:42.080 in Calgary. This is a critical juncture in the 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:45.159 narrative, and we must emphasize a specific piece 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:48.120 of context provided by the source material. It's 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:51.120 a game -changer detail. Curling was not a permanent 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:54.480 Olympic fixture at the 1988 Games. It was featured 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.440 as a demonstration sport. Demonstration sport. 00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:00.500 That single classification fundamentally changes 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.320 the gravity of her role as a manager. A demonstration 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:05.820 sport is essentially an audition for the entire 00:09:05.820 --> 00:09:08.500 globe. A high -stakes audition. The athletes 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:10.399 are out there competing at the highest possible 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:13.399 level, but their medals aren't officially added 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:15.980 to the permanent Olympic tally. The real competition 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:18.720 is happening both on and off the ice. Proving 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.440 to the International Olympic Committee that the 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:23.320 sport deserves to be there permanently. Precisely. 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:26.200 The logistical and psychological pressure of 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:28.720 managing an Olympic team is already immense. 00:09:29.059 --> 00:09:31.139 You're responsible for the physical and mental 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:33.700 well -being of elite athletes. Managing their 00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:36.720 training schedules, travel logistics. Media obligations 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.519 under the intense glare of the global spotlight. 00:09:39.860 --> 00:09:42.019 But when your sport is a demonstration sport, 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.220 that baseline pressure is multiplied exponentially. 00:09:45.909 --> 00:09:48.090 You are not just managing a team's performance. 00:09:48.470 --> 00:09:51.389 You are managing the existential future of the 00:09:51.389 --> 00:09:54.289 sport itself. It is a phenomenal burden to carry. 00:09:54.470 --> 00:09:57.509 Huge. The manager in that scenario has to ensure 00:09:57.509 --> 00:10:00.370 that the sport translates well to an international 00:10:00.370 --> 00:10:02.870 television audience. They have to ensure the 00:10:02.870 --> 00:10:05.029 rules are comprehensible to viewers who have 00:10:05.029 --> 00:10:07.549 never seen a curling sheet before. Right. They 00:10:07.549 --> 00:10:09.809 are essentially lobbying the Olympic officials, 00:10:09.990 --> 00:10:12.610 the broadcasters, and the global public simultaneously. 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:16.340 Every single game the US women played in Calgary 00:10:16.340 --> 00:10:19.129 wasn't just about winning. It was about presenting 00:10:19.129 --> 00:10:22.490 curling as a dynamic, highly competitive, and 00:10:22.490 --> 00:10:25.169 rigorously structured athletic discipline. One 00:10:25.169 --> 00:10:26.950 that belonged permanently in the Winter Games. 00:10:27.149 --> 00:10:29.590 And this is where her dual roles perfectly intersect. 00:10:29.850 --> 00:10:32.529 She was managing the front -facing athletic execution 00:10:32.529 --> 00:10:35.070 of the sport at the Olympics. While simultaneously 00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:38.309 utilizing her position as the U .S. representative 00:10:38.309 --> 00:10:41.649 to the International Curling Federation to manage 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:43.850 the behind -the -scenes bureaucratic lobbying. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.259 It is a comprehensive two -pronged approach to 00:10:48.259 --> 00:10:50.940 institutionalizing a sport on the world's biggest 00:10:50.940 --> 00:10:53.539 stage. She was demonstrating the sports value 00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:55.879 through the excellence of her athletes. While 00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:58.159 concurrently navigating the political corridors 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:01.120 to secure its long -term future. The sheer endurance 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.919 required to sustain that level of dual advocacy 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.019 is just staggering. It really is. And it brings 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:09.399 us to the culminating milestone of our source 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:13.039 material, moving into the early 90s. 1991. In 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.960 1991, Mary Van Ness was elected to the United 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:19.100 States Curling Association Hall of Fame. It is 00:11:19.100 --> 00:11:21.500 a monumental achievement. But the most crucial 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:24.080 aspect of this induction is that she was the 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.659 first woman ever elected to this Hall of Fame. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.240 This raises an important question. About what? 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.340 About the timeline of systemic recognition, particularly 00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:35.059 for women in sports administration. Ah, yes. 00:11:35.139 --> 00:11:37.379 When we look at the reality of institutional 00:11:37.379 --> 00:11:41.080 awards, there is often a significant lag between 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:44.019 the work being done and the establishment acknowledging 00:11:44.019 --> 00:11:47.240 it. The fact that it took until 1991 for a woman 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:50.620 to break this specific glass ceiling speaks volumes 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:53.580 about the institutional hurdles of the era. It 00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:55.960 forces us to synthesize the timeline we've been 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.379 discussing. This induction wasn't a sudden honor 00:11:58.379 --> 00:12:00.820 bestowed out of the blue. It was the undeniable 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:03.740 result of 15 consecutive years of administrative 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:06.480 grinding. From the local presidency in Wauwatosa 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:09.980 in 1976. Through the national presidency. A decade 00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:12.320 of international diplomacy. And the crucible 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:14.940 of managing a demonstration. sport at the Winter 00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:17.460 Olympics? She essentially had to construct an 00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:21.539 airtight, globally recognized resume just to 00:12:21.539 --> 00:12:23.759 open the door for that first induction. Being 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:26.539 the first in any institutional hall of fame carries 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:28.840 a unique weight. You're not just being judged 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:32.100 against your peers. You are overcoming the historical 00:12:32.100 --> 00:12:35.240 bias that often prioritizes the achievements 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:37.960 of male athletes or administrators. To be the 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:40.240 first woman inducted meant that her contributions 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.679 had to be so foundational and her impact so widespread 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:46.539 that the institution could no longer justify 00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:49.100 excluding women from its highest honor. She didn't 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:51.200 merely walk into the Hall of Fame. No. She spent 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.320 a decade and a half meticulously dismantling 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.220 the barriers to entry. That idea of meticulously 00:12:57.220 --> 00:12:59.940 dismantling barriers makes the final chronological 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:02.860 detail in our sources so profoundly resonant. 00:13:02.980 --> 00:13:04.950 It's my favorite part of the timeline. After 00:13:04.950 --> 00:13:07.549 tracking her ascent from a local Wisconsin rink 00:13:07.549 --> 00:13:09.870 to the national presidency, through international 00:13:09.870 --> 00:13:12.549 federations, all the way to the Olympic stage 00:13:12.549 --> 00:13:15.730 and into the Hall of Fame, the timeline brings 00:13:15.730 --> 00:13:17.970 us right back to the beginning. Full circle. 00:13:18.129 --> 00:13:21.830 In 1993, the Wauwatosa Curling Club elected Mary 00:13:21.830 --> 00:13:25.370 Van Ness as an honorary member. It is a remarkably 00:13:25.370 --> 00:13:27.990 poetic conclusion to the recorded timeline. It 00:13:27.990 --> 00:13:30.909 really is. There is a common phenomenon in professional 00:13:30.909 --> 00:13:33.870 and athletic trajectories where individuals achieve 00:13:33.870 --> 00:13:37.629 global recognition and subsequently detach from 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:40.090 their local origins. Right. The gravity of international 00:13:40.090 --> 00:13:43.350 accolades often pulls people away from the grassroots 00:13:43.350 --> 00:13:45.950 levels where they started. But this detail suggests 00:13:45.950 --> 00:13:48.840 the exact opposite. Her honorary membership in 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:51.559 1993 is a testament to an enduring connection. 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:54.340 It is the local community, the people who watched 00:13:54.340 --> 00:13:56.500 her manage tight budgets and late night volunteer 00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:59.779 meetings back in 1976. Saying, we saw you when 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:02.259 you were just building the foundation. We watched 00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:04.299 you take our sport to the world. And we want 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:06.419 to permanently claim you as our own. It is a 00:14:06.419 --> 00:14:09.929 quiet, local honor. that anchors the massive 00:14:09.929 --> 00:14:12.490 international legacy. It serves as a powerful 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:15.029 validation of her character as a leader. True 00:14:15.029 --> 00:14:16.970 influence, the kind that reshapes international 00:14:16.970 --> 00:14:19.250 federations and breaks Hall of Fame barriers, 00:14:19.529 --> 00:14:22.169 does not have to erase its local origins. In 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:25.370 fact, it is often that grounding in community 00:14:25.370 --> 00:14:28.090 -level reality that makes a leader so effective 00:14:28.090 --> 00:14:31.269 on the global stage. The Wauwatosa Club honored 00:14:31.269 --> 00:14:33.919 her. because they recognized that the diplomatic 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:36.059 skills she used to navigate the International 00:14:36.059 --> 00:14:39.059 Olympic Committee were the exact same skills 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:41.980 she honed in their local rink. So what does this 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:44.539 all mean? Well, we began this deep dive looking 00:14:44.539 --> 00:14:47.259 at a few brief sentences about an American curler. 00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:50.240 But by unpacking the citations and the timeline, 00:14:50.500 --> 00:14:53.159 we discovered a comprehensive blueprint of unseen 00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:55.820 architecture. Behind every athletic event you 00:14:55.820 --> 00:14:58.100 watch. Behind every professional industry you 00:14:58.100 --> 00:15:00.419 work in. And behind every community hobby you 00:15:00.419 --> 00:15:03.179 enjoy. There is a massive apparatus making it 00:15:03.179 --> 00:15:05.600 function. Mary Van Ness's journey from the local 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:08.759 Wauwatosa Club to the Hall of Fame is a masterclass 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:11.480 in the power of sustained, behind -the -scenes 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:14.179 leadership. She did not merely participate within 00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:16.759 the existing boundaries of her sport. She actively 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.019 expanded those boundaries. Utilizing local pragmatism 00:15:20.019 --> 00:15:23.019 and global diplomacy to shape the future of curling 00:15:23.019 --> 00:15:26.480 for generations to come. As we conclude our analysis 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.919 today, I want to leave you with a final thought 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:31.559 to explore on your own. Please do. I encourage 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:34.259 you to look closely at the fields, the industries, 00:15:34.340 --> 00:15:36.559 or the sports that you are deeply passionate 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:40.080 about. We are naturally conditioned to celebrate 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:43.279 the highly visible figures. The athletes scoring 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.700 the points. The front -facing executives. Or 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:48.440 the individuals standing on the podium. But I 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:50.679 want you to consider the unseen infrastructure 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:53.940 that supports them. Who are the unsung architects 00:15:53.940 --> 00:15:57.129 in your own areas of interest? The unsung Mary 00:15:57.129 --> 00:15:59.750 Van Esses. Exactly. Who were the people whose 00:15:59.750 --> 00:16:03.149 decades of quiet committee work, localized dispute 00:16:03.149 --> 00:16:07.009 resolution, and relentless global advocacy built 00:16:07.009 --> 00:16:09.330 the foundations that you seamlessly enjoyed today? 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.240 because in the background of every single field 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:16.120 we care about someone spent 15 years meticulously 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:18.700 building the door that is an exceptional perspective 00:16:18.700 --> 00:16:21.159 to carry forward thank you for joining us on 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:23.440 this deep dive we look forward to having you 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.600 with us next time as we continue to unpack the 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.360 profound stories and complex architectures hidden 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:29.860 just beneath the surface of history