Following Team GB’s historic success in winning gold in the Mixed Team event at the Winter Youth Olympics in Korea, the Mixed Doubles pairing of Ethan Brewster and Callie Soutar now takes to the stage in the Gangneung Arena.
For 16-year-old Aberdonian Brewster – son of 2014 Sochi Olympic silver medallist Tom - it is very much a case of taking to the family business as he and Forfar 15-year-old Soutar combine their efforts in the 32-team contest, having watched teammates Logan Carson, Tia Laurie, Archie Hyslop and Holly Burke dominate their competition over the past week.
“Coming from a curling family, mother, father, grandmother, uncle all curled I had no chance of doing anything other than curling,” he joked.
“I was seven years old when I watched my dad win his Olympic medal sitting in the ice rink at Curl Aberdeen with family.
“I think going all around the world when I was young, seeing live curling and watching him play I thought this is what I want to do when I am older, so I am buzzing about getting this chance.”
The youngster reckons this can be the start of a similar career to that of his father, who played in two World Championship finals, as well as claiming that Olympic medal.
“It would be the biggest goal of my career to do what my dad has done, to go to a World Champs and also a Winter Olympics and big international events like that. The Youth Olympics is I think a good stepping stone towards that hopefully,” he said.
“I am really excited about being part of that Olympic multi sport team and seeing other events and a little disappointed to be missing the ski jumping, but I am really excited to meet other athletes and see how other sports operate and to get to see a few live sports at the Games.”
As Brewster senior noted, the chance to compete at a Winter Youth Olympics is just one of many things that have changed since his own junior days as the sport has been professionalised, with British Curling providing state-of-the-art support for players who are aiming to reach the elite level of the sport.
“When I was his age, there were no events like this other than the World Juniors, so it is fantastic that they get this opportunity to be part of a multi sport event like this and get an understanding and exposure to all the support you get, which again I didn’t have until I was in my late twenties,” said Tom.
“I think, you see the benefits of all of that back room support throughout the whole of the system with players like Ross Whyte and (reigning men’s world champion skip) Bruce Mouat that have experience of all of the support available to them at a much younger age, it gives them a much better starting point.
“I have tried to give Ethan as many opportunities as I can and put him on the ice crew for the last couple of World Mixed Champs at Curl Aberdeen and he was on the ice crew at this season’s European Championships.
“That has given him a better understanding of how stones react and what happens on the ice so he knows what to look out for when it comes to reading the ice. All these little things add up and make a difference.”
He is also keen that his son seizes the wider opportunities being in an Olympic environment provides, as well as maximising the advantages it will bring to his curling career.
“Looking back at Sochi you are making friends from different sports and also the support staff, you make friends for life actually,” said Tom.
“A lot of the other athletes are going through the same experiences and not many get the chance to experience something like this, so whether you win a medal or not being on that pathway to an Olympics forms a bond.
“I have made great friends around the world because of this sport, so it has been really great to me in that way.
“He has still got six years at Scottish Juniors, so he needs to experience this, take what he can from it, learn from it and that will keep him on the right track.
“The conditions now to when I was 16 are vastly different. The shots he is now making at the age of 16 I couldn’t make until I was 19 or 20, he is way ahead of where I was.
“We are very proud and we have relatives in Scotland and across in Canada that will be cheering on Team GB.”
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