As British Curling intensifies its search for the next generation of wheelchair curlers the organisation has recruited Cheryl Lappin as its first Paralympic Pathway Manager.
Working towards annual targets of competing at World Championships and ultimately getting the chance to compete for Paralympics GB every four years, the wheelchair squad has built strength in depth in recent years, introducing a Pathway system last season to support athletes who represented both Scotland and England at World Championships.
The need to do so has been magnified by the introduction of a new discipline, mixed doubles, to the schedule at the next Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina in 2026, but British Curling’s constant bid to maximise competition for places and provide opportunities had already seen the introduction of regular Talent ID days.
The next of those is due to take place on 4 August 2023 at the National Curling Academy, but there is also an emphasis on building on the work done in conjunction with the English Curling Association to make it easier for athletes based south of the border to get involved in the sport.
The aim is to increase squads to 14 athletes for both Scotland and England – with some of the English squad sessions potentially operating from Dumfries or Preston, while the Scotland squad will largely be based at the National Curling Academy in Stirling.
Lappin has consequently joined British Curling at a pivotal moment in the development of its Paralympic programme and can build on close to a decade of work at Scottish Disability Sport where her role was to identify talent, coach recruitment, facility investment for sporting use, classification and talent transfer.
A graduate in Sports Studies at the University of Stirling Lappin, who was Director of West Dunbartonshire Gymnastics Club for over 12 years is married to former international footballer Suzanne Lappin, so is immersed in the sporting world and aims to utilise her experience in this brand new role to make a significant and rapid impact.
“I am extremely excited to have joined the British Curling team and to have the chance to bring my experience within disability sport to this new role,” said Lappin.
“My aim is to make a significant impact to the Paralympic Performance Pathway with regards to identification, recruitment and development of potential wheelchair curlers from across the UK.
“I am eager to develop new partnerships with key charities and organisations as well as create strategic visions for the British Curling Paralympic pathway, in relation to Talent Identification across the UK and the creation of performance development squads and programmes.
“Working collaboratively with the British Curling team, Sport Scotland Institute of Sport, UK Sport and wider support systems is imperative to the future success of the Paralympic Pathway, the launch of the recruitment campaign and the conception of the newly established Paralympic Performance Foundation Squad (beginning September 2023).
“It’s an exhilarating time to be part of British Curling, to undertake this newly established role and to strive for success for the Paralympic movement within wheelchair curling.”
British Curling’s Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan said they she had enjoyed working with Lappin across the summer in preparing for the 2023-24 season.
“Cheryl’s recruitment has added hugely to our ongoing and always evolving commitment to ensuring that we leave no stone unturned in our bid to be competitive at the highest level,” she said.
“While British Curling has always provided opportunities for athletes to maximise their potential, we believe there remains vast untapped talent potentially available to us, particularly south of the border where the sport has only begun to gain traction since being exposed to the spotlight provided by the Paralympics and Olympics.
“Two weeks into her role Cheryl successfully hosted a Talent Assessment Day and has helped to formulate our Pathway strategy, so she has really had to hit the ground running in this new role and I am confident that her expertise will allow us to take further strides in the right direction and look forward to continuing to work closely with her.”
Interim Performance Director Dave Leith, who oversees the Paralympic programme, said: “The appointment of Cheryl as the British Curling Paralympic Pathway Manager reflects the ambition we have as a programme to build on the successful performance of the Paralympic squad, achieving a fantastic bronze medal at the most recent World Championships.
“This will allow us to create sustained success by harnessing the talent that exists in wheelchair curling across the UK and the as yet untapped talent looking for opportunities to become future champions.
“Cheryl’s work sets out the plan to work with our partners in Scottish and English Curling and in partnerships with national disability sports organisations, other Paralympic world class programmes and rehabilitation centres across the UK to recruit and develop the next generation of athletes that can learn from the significant talent and experience of the current Olympic and world medal winning athletes.’
The launch of the British Curling Paralympic Pathway Recruitment Campaign will commence September 2023. If you would like to find out more information please contact Cheryl.Lappin@britishcurling.org.uk or 07577830360, alternatively any interested participants keen to ‘Get Involved’, please complete details via the QR Code.
We are also keen to hear from anyone who would like to volunteer at our British Curling Wheelchair Mixed Doubles event, or any other international events that we will stage at the National Curling Academy in the 2023-24 season. Please get in touch: events@britishcurling.org.uk
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