Curling Winter Sports Association of the Philippines presents:
Philippine Queens
of
Curling
Philippine Women's Curling Team
Filipina Pride!
After more than a decade in the making, in 2023, the World Curling Federation gave the Philippines provisional membership to compete on the world level.
A collection of talented, tenacious, and savvy women stepped up to form the Philippine Queens of Curling hoping to reign supreme and bring curling to a whole new level of fun and excitement.
Philippine Women's Curling Team
Meet the Queens
Donna "Piko Piko" Umali was born and raised in Hawaii, is a Custom T-shirt Printer, Life Coach certified, Singer/Songwriter, Film/TV trained, Supermom, very resilient genes from Barroga/Umali lines. Donna started curling in 2007 when she became one of the original members of the Hollywood Curling in Los Angeles. She found herself addicted to high level curling competitions after competing in three Club Nationals from 2009 - 2011. Then she sought to feed her appetite for international tournaments after her participation in The 2012 Pacific International Cup, The 2012 Glynhill Ladies Invitational in Scotland, and 2017 U.S. Women's National Championships.Born in Cavite, Micha "Imelda" Suarez spent her formative years in the Philippines walking on beaches, enjoying green sour mangoes, twirling the baton, and competing in beauty pageants before moving to San Diego where she developed a love for hip hop dance, cheerleading for charitable causes, and veganizing traditional Filipino dishes. Micha began curling in February 2019 after closely following the MiraCurl On Ice on TV in 2018. She normally curls as a skip out of Curl San Diego and is also a member of the Orange County Curling Club. She hopes to inspire future generations of curling fangirls throughout the Philippine diaspora and open the MSNECC – a dedicated curling facility in San Diego with serpentine motifs.Jenn "Guam Bomb" de la Fuente is a proud Filipina and islander from Guam. Despite her tropical roots, Jenn has always felt at home on ice as a curler and a hockey player. She took up curling in 2012 after a fellow group of hockey fans invited her to a Learn to Curl session in Los Angeles, and the rest is history. Jenn competed in the 2018 Arena Nationals and 2022 California State Games, as well as various bonspiels up and down the West Coast. She is also a certified Level 1 instructor with USA Curling. A lifelong athlete, it is an honor for Jenn to represent her ancestral homeland as a curler. When she’s not curling, Jenn is an adjunct professor of public relations at her alma mater, the University of Southern California. She is also a terrible hockey player, an avid college football and hockey fan, a scuba diver, and a world-class goofball.Anne Bonache was born and raised in Bacolod City, Philippines. She started curling in 2022 and won her first game in an all-women’s bonspiel that same year. She is a current member of the Wine Country Curling Club. Beyond the ice rink, she is a fervent traveler and takes immense delight in everything Taylor Swift. When she’s not curling, she’s dedicatedly training for a marathon. Professionally, she is a devoted Physical Therapist. Anne is a big foodie, and her top three Pinoy dishes are Bijon, Lumpia, and Sinigang. She eagerly anticipates the adventures that lie ahead in representing the Philippines in the world of curling.Coach Miguel “Miggy” Gutierrez is the proud son of a Filipino household in Queens, New York. His curling experience started in college with the Villanova Curling Team and now plays in the Brooklyn Lakeside Curling Club. Miggy’s international experience includes representing USA Curling in the 2019 Can Am Cup of Curling along with coaching the Men’s Kenyan Curling Team in the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships. Although honored by previous accomplishment, he is delighted to finally have the opportunity to represent his Filipino heritage. When not curling, Miggy works in the Sports Technology sector and enjoys trying new and exotic foods, traveling, and playing board games.Assistant Coach “JoJo” Cruz was born in Rizal, Philippines, and immigrated to the United States after high school. He currently works as a Radiology Supervisor in San Francisco. In 2006, he discovered his passion for curling and co-founded the curling national sports association in the Philippines, where he now serves as Vice President of Curling Pilipinas.
Beyond curling, he is dedicated to expanding winter sports in the Philippines. He is also involved with the Philippine Ski & Snowboard Federation as the Director of Cross-Country & Roller Ski. To support this mission, he founded the country's first cross-country & roller ski club. His journey has been one of continuous growth, and he is committed to coaching and mentoring others to help them achieve their dreams.
We need your help!
Join the hive!
Dear friends, family, fans, and potential spectators, spreading the love of curling and Filipino pride needs your love and support. What would it take for you to enlist yourself in our Filipina hive? Maybe you could donate to our GoFundMe Campaign, or purchase some merchandise t-shirts and pins, or maybe you want to be a corporate sponsor? There's so many ways you can be part of our community.
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