This qualified them for the inaugural 1979 Royal Bank of Scotland World Women"s Curling Championship. The team lost in the semi-final to Switzerland. The team was chosen by the Canadian Olympic Committee to represent Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics where curling was a demonstration sport.
Sparkes" final appearance at the Hearts was in 1997 as an alternate for the Kelley Owen (Law) rink.
She is a three-time Canadian champion, world champion and Olympic demonstration champion. In 1976, Sparkes and her team of Dawn Knowles, Robin Klassen, Lorraine Bowles won her first provincial and her first national championship. In 1979, the team returned to the national championship, and won again. In 1984, Sparkes and her new team of Linda Moore, Debbie Orr and Laurie Carney won her third provincial title, and finished in 3rd place at that year"s national championship (at that point, called the Tournament of Hearts) The following season, Sparkes and Moore switched positions, and the team won another provincial and went on to claim the 1985 Scott Tournament of Hearts title, beating Newfoundland in the final. At the 1985 World Championships, the team won the gold medal, defeating Scotland in the final. The 1986 Scott Tournament of Hearts would mark the first event where the defending champion could return as Team Canada, and the team lost in the final to Ontario. The team won the gold medal, defeating Sweden in the final.
