Initiative aims to establish wheelchair curling hub in Southern England

An introductory “come along and try” session for wheelchair curling was held, with the objective of establishing a new center for the sport in the southern region. According to Cambridge Curling Club, it is among a limited number of clubs in England that possess their own rink, located at Cambridge Ice Arena. Cheryl Lappin, who serves as the Paralympic pathway manager for British Curling, described the talent displayed during the session as “exciting and inspiring”. Curling, a sport with greater popularity in Scotland and northern England, entails propelling a granite stone across an ice rink toward a designated target. John Brown, the secretary of the English Curling Association, noted the scarcity of venues where individuals can participate in curling in the southern part of the country. He clarified, “The equipment [for wheelchair users] is all the same.” He added, “The stones are the same; the main difference is they don’t sweep – they are much more dependent on touch.” He concluded, “Once they let the stone go, it’s out of their hands, basically.” Ms. Lappin stated that the public session was instrumental in developing a pathway, enabling curlers to aim for selection to the national squad and Team GB. She commented, “We’re trying to recruit the next generation of Paralympic wheelchair curlers.” Among the participants was Jake McHale, 35, from London, who remarked that he was “doing better than I thought I would.” He further stated, “I set myself a challenge earlier this year to try out 10 Paralympic sports and this is the tenth one today.” Tania Nadarajah, 44, from Surrey, also new to curling, expressed that she simply “wanted to give it a go”. She explained, “It’s one of those sports that I’ve loved watching both in the Olympics and the Paralympics so I thought it would be amazing to have a go – and it is.” She added, “I’ve done sport before, but I’ve been out of the environment for a little while, so to come back and be around people who are learning and enjoying themselves is great.” When asked if this could become her new sport, she responded, “Maybe,” adding, “We’ll see.” Stan Wilson, who leads the Cambridge Curling Club, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the sessions. He further commented, “It’s a very sociable sport where able-bodied and wheelchair users can play alongside each other.”