In 1976, Sparkes and her team of Dawn Knowles, Robin Klassen, Lorraine Bowles won her first provincial and her first national championship.

This qualified them for the inaugural 1979 Royal Bank of Scotland World Women's Curling Championship.

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.

Sparkes' final appearance at the Hearts was in 1997 as an alternate for the Kelley Owen (Law) rink.