He loves the game like few others. To be a curler who can focus solely on improving his game, he’s willing to go to the ends of the earth. Or at least to Moscow.

We talked to Gunner a few hours after Gary Lawless reported in the Winnipeg Free Press that Jason, Justin Richter and Tyler Forrest are set to become three-fifths of a team supported by the Russian Curling Federation. Naturally, that’s the focus of our conversation.

Even if your curling won’t be supported by the Russians next year, the off-season is the time to get your training started with Fit to Curl: A Sport-Specific Guide to Training for the World’s Greatest Game by Olympic Gold Medalist John Morris. It’s available at fittocurl.com and at Chapters/Indigo/Coles throughout Canada.