'I cried here half the morning': P.E.I. Gallant family elated after N.L. Brier win

A day after watching his son Brett sweep the final rock thatpropelled Newfoundland and Labradorto victoryin the Brier championship,Peter Gallant is still overcome with emotion.

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"I'm still over the top here," said Gallant, from South Korea, where he's coaching that country's women's national team.

"I cried here half the morning ... And you know, every now and then I still get a message from someone, and it still brings a tear.I know how much it meant to Brett."

Coached by his parents

Brett Gallant has been a part of Brad Gushue'sNewfoundland rink since 2012. But the 27-year-old grew up curling in Charlottetown, coached for muchof his young career by his parents, Peter and Kathie, both long-time competitive curlers themselves.

"My wife was saying she remembers watching the Brier with himwhen he was eightor nineyears old, and he was saying, 'someday I'm going to be there and win that.'I mean, he wanted to be a curler all his life. And to see him obtain that goal of winning the Brier something I always wanted to do as a curler and couldn't do it now he's done it, and it's pretty amazing."

For anyone to move to a different province and put in that much effort for one goal is pretty incredible- Chris Gallant, Brett's brother

P.E.I. as a province has never won the Brier championship. On Sunday night, Brett Gallant becamethe first individual Islander to win as part of another province'steam.

Shoes to fill

It's inspiring for younger curlers on the Island, like Gallant's younger brother Chrisan accomplished curler in his own right. The 21-year-oldjust returned from representing P.E.I. at the Canadian junior championship in January.

This weekend, he's off to the national university championshipas a member of UPEI.

"The shoes to fill just got a little bigger I think," the younger Gallant said with a chuckle."But really, I just feel pride. For anyone to move to a different province and put in that much effort for one goal is pretty incredible ... It was just a special kind of moment for the whole family, really."

Now, the focus for Brett Gallant and the rest of the Newfoundland rink turns to the world championshiptaking place in Edmonton starting April 1st.

It won't be the Charlottetown native's first world championship. Gallant skipped the P.E.I. team to a silver medal at the2009 World junior championshipafter winning the national title that same year.

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