Scotland and England’s wheelchair curling teams will fine tune their preparations for next month’s SD Biosensor World Wheelchair and World Mixed Doubles Champs in Korea when they compete in the latest Euro Super League (ESL) event in Trondheim this weekend.
The tournament (9-11 February) is the latest in the ESL series which provides regular international competition for wheelchair curlers targeting qualification for their respective member associations at the next Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina 2026.
For Wigan’s Karen Aspey, who took up the sport just three years ago and joined the British Curling Paralympic Performance Foundation squad last year, the Trondheim event is an opportunity to gain valuable experience of playing overseas along with British Curling colleague and England teammate Stewart Pimblett ahead of her World Championship debut.
“It’s all happened so quickly. I am looking forward to this weekend and the worlds, but obviously there are nerves there as well,” the 55 year old said of her meteoric rise in the game.
“My intentions are to go out there and just do my best.
“Stewart and I started working together at the ESL event in Stirling last year and he is skip and I feel like I am learning every day.
“I was competing at the British Open last weekend alongside Gregor (Ewan) and Gary (Logan) who are also on the British Curling squad and I have learnt a lot from them as well.”
Revelling in the elite sporting environment, Aspey is keen to absorb every opportunity that presents itself to improve and, surprised as she has been by the rate of her progress through the ranks, she is determined to do her country proud. 
“Being on the British Curling programme has helped a lot,” she said.
“Every day really has been a learning day as I have not been playing for a long time like many of the others, so I am trying to take in what I can at every opportunity.
“This weekend will be tough in Trondheim but it is about going out on the ice and treating it like a training session for the worlds and I want to do my best.”
“It was amazing to be selected for the worlds. I wasn’t expecting it as I haven’t been playing that long, so to get this chance I was really chuffed. Trondheim will definitely help to prepare for that, it is so close now and gives us a chance to work on things and team dynamics for those championships.”
The World Championships team event takes place from 2-9 March followed by the mixed doubles discipline from 10-16 March at the Gangneung Curling Arena in Korea.
Please click here for results from Trondheim.
England Mixed Doubles Team
Stewart Pimblett
Karen Aspey
Team Coach Tony Lenton
Assistant Coach Rosemary Lenton 
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team
Charlotte McKenna
Gary Smith
Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan
Team Coach Niall Ryder
Scotland Team
Hugh Nibloe
Gregor Ewan
Robert McPherson
Gary Logan
Meggan Dawson Farrell
Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan
Team Coach Luke Carson
Please click here for more event information from World Curling.
