Few Canadian curlers have built a career as long and decorated as Krista Scharf’s without ever quite landing the national title that’s eluded her twice in heartbreaking fashion. The Thunder Bay skip has spent more than two decades representing her region at the highest level of women’s curling, all while raising two kids and teaching full-time.
This article covers everything worth knowing about Krista Scharf: her age, her curling résumé, her marriage and divorce, her children, and what’s next after her team’s recent decision to step away from competition.
Who Is Krista Scharf?
Krista Lee Scharf was born on November 10, 1982, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She started curling at age ten at the Fort William Curling Club and never really stopped, building a career that spans junior titles, provincial dominance, and repeated trips to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada’s national women’s curling championship.
Outside the rink, Scharf works as a teacher at Holy Family School in Thunder Bay. She’s a graduate of Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute and Lakehead University, where she studied while also competing internationally as part of Canada’s university curling program.
Krista Scharf’s Age and Early Career
As of 2026, Krista Scharf is 43 years old. Her curling career started young: she represented Northern Ontario in four Canadian Junior Curling Championships between 1998 and 2002, skipping her own team in three of those appearances. In 2003, she led a Lakehead University team to a silver medal at the Winter Universiade in Tarvisio, Italy, an early sign of the staying power she’d show for the next two decades.
Krista Scharf’s Curling Career: A Two-Decade Résumé
Few skips in Canadian curling can match the sheer volume of Scharf’s provincial and national appearances. Here’s a snapshot of her achievements:
| Achievement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scotties Tournament of Hearts appearances | 12+ as skip |
| Ontario provincial championships | Four-time champion |
| Northern Ontario provincial championships | 11-time champion |
| Scotties playoff wins | Eight, ranking fourth all-time among skips |
| Best Scotties finish | Runner-up in 2016 and 2022 |
| National medal | Bronze in 2010 (representing Ontario) |
Two Close Calls at a National Title
Scharf has reached the Scotties final twice, in 2016 and again in 2022, on home ice in Thunder Bay, and lost both times. The 2022 final was especially painful for local fans: her team fell 9-6 to Kerri Einarson’s Manitoba rink in front of a hometown crowd. It’s the kind of near-miss that’s defined her career as much as her many provincial titles have.
Surviving a Plane Crash
One of the more harrowing moments in Scharf’s career happened off the ice. In January 2020, while flying home from the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Scharf, teammate Ashley Sippala, and longtime coach Rick Lang survived a small plane crash near Dryden, Ontario. All three walked away without serious injury, and Scharf returned to competitive curling not long after.
Is Krista Scharf Married?
This is one of the more common questions people search alongside her name, and the answer has changed in recent years. Krista Scharf was married to fellow curler Mike McCarville, whom she met as a teammate on the 2005 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship rink skipped by her brother, Joe Scharf. Mike, a high school math and biology teacher in Thunder Bay, currently plays third for Team Trevor Bonot.
The couple later divorced, and Scharf returned to using her maiden name, Scharf, in August 2025, after competing for years under her married name, McCarville. She now goes by Krista Scharf professionally, though many past headlines and record books still list her as Krista McCarville.
Krista Scharf’s Children: A Family on the Ice
Krista Scharf and Mike McCarville have two children together:
- Bella McCarville, born in 2009, is the elder of the two and has followed both parents into competitive curling.
- A younger son, born around 2012, who has kept a much lower public profile than his sister.
Bella’s Growing Curling Career
Bella McCarville has become a curler in her own right, competing at the Northern Ontario U18 championships and throwing third stones for her own junior squad. In January 2026, Krista added her then-16-year-old daughter to Team Scharf’s roster as a fifth player for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, held that year in Mississauga, Ontario.
It wasn’t just a ceremonial spot on the bench. Scharf explained she wanted Bella to experience everything that comes with a national championship, from media availability to strategy sessions with veteran coach Rick Lang, ahead of what Scharf expects to be Bella’s own future Scotties career. Watching her daughter take it all in, Scharf said, made the tournament feel different from any of her previous appearances.
What’s Next for Team Scharf
In March 2026, Krista Scharf announced that her longtime rink, second Ashley Sippala and lead Sarah Potts, would take a step back from competitive play for the 2026-27 season to focus on family and time away from the game. Third Kendra Lilly, who lives in Sudbury, is expected to join another team or lead her own during the break.
Scharf was careful to clarify that this isn’t a retirement announcement. Her team’s statement noted that none of them were ready to use that word, leaving the door open for a return to competitive curling in future seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Krista Scharf? Krista Scharf was born on November 10, 1982, making her 43 years old as of 2026.
Is Krista Scharf still married? No. She was previously married to curler Mike McCarville, and the couple later divorced. She returned to her maiden name, Scharf, in August 2025.
How many children does Krista Scharf have? She has two children: daughter Bella McCarville, born in 2009, and a younger son born around 2012.
Has Krista Scharf ever won a Scotties title? Not yet. She’s reached the final twice, in 2016 and 2022, but hasn’t won the national championship.
Is Krista Scharf retired from curling? No. Her team announced a break for the 2026-27 season, but they’ve explicitly said it isn’t a retirement.
Final Thoughts
Krista Scharf’s career is a reminder that success in curling isn’t only measured in championship banners. Two decades of provincial titles, a near-record number of Scotties playoff wins, and a daughter now following in her footsteps tell a story of consistency and resilience that few Canadian curlers can match.
Whether Team Scharf returns to the ice next season or takes a longer pause, Krista Scharf’s impact on Northern Ontario curling, and on the next generation coming up behind her, is already secure.
