Scotland’s wheelchairs curlers may have had to rely on results from elsewhere to get them through to the knockout stages of their World Championships in Vancouver, but they can draw on inspiration from famous compatriots as they seek to go on to medal success.
There were shades of Salt Lake City in 2002 and Beijing last year as they were left with an anxious wait to see if they would get through after losing 9-6 to Italy in their final round-robin match.
However, the team’s lead Jo Butterfield invoked the spirit of fellow golden girls on the global stage Eve Muirhead and Rhona Martin when she urged her teammates to seize the opportunity of a fresh start as they prepare to meet Korea in the first round of the play-offs.
“The end of the round-robin stage and we got through, even if it probably wasn’t the way we wanted to do it, on this performance, but sometimes you just have to take it the way it comes and the most important thing is that we’re there,” said the woman who was awarded an MBE after winning a 2016 Paralympics gold medal in athletics.
“We were very thankful that other results went for us and we made it through.
“Our first goal coming here with a new line-up was to avoid relegation and our next goal was to qualify for the play-offs, which we’ve achieved, so we’ve got to be positive.
“We’re now in it to fight another day.” 
Butterfield admitted that they had been blighted by a familiar problem as they set out on their meeting with the Italians, knowing that a victory would secure their play-off places.
“It was a game that we went into knowing we could win, but it’s sadly been a common theme of this competition… we started really slowly, just couldn’t get into it and gave them a lead that ultimately we couldn’t get over,” she said.
“As a team we did show good strength and determination to get back into it, though, to try to get the win we thought we needed, making it quite a close game in the end and losing just at the last end.”
The sense that they can look at this as an opportunity to re-set is reinforced by the fact that they now meet the same opponents they began the event against.
“We now play Korea again, the team we played on the first day and it was a close battle,” said Butterfield, reflecting on that 6-4 opening day loss.
“We’ve played them a number of times this season and we’ve beaten them, so we know it’s doable.
“We have that confidence, but we know it’s imperative that we go out from the start all guns blazing.
“We cannot have that slow start, we cannot let them get on top of us and wait for the second half to start to play some shots.
“We need to dictate the play and play our game, executing our performances and if we do that I’m confident we’ll win, we all are.
“It’s in our hands. We’ve been given a great opportunity to go out there and shine, make our mark and show that we’re here to go toe to toe with these teams.”
For Butterfield herself, as a newcomer to the sport who joined the British Curling programme only last year, there is enormous satisfaction to be drawn from what they have done already, but it speaks to her winner’s attitude that she is determined to do better still.
“On a personal note, I’ve only been in this sport for six or seven months, so even being here was a shock to some extent,” she acknowledged.
“It was my goal and my ambition, but I didn’t know it would materialise, so to not only be here, but to get through the round-robin and reach the play-off stage is a huge achievement, so I’m very proud of myself, but I’m proud of my team.
“We’ve had each other’s back. When one person’s been down another person’s picked them up and we go out there together against Korea strong, determined and we’re going to fight to make it through to the next stage.”
In the Wheelchair Mixed Doubles event, England’s Rosemary Lenton and Stewart Pimblett claimed a vital 8-6 win over Germany on the sixth day of action to enhance their play-off hopes ahead of their final round-robin match against Denmark, who have won just one match so far.
Scotland’s Charlotte McKenna and David Melrose, who retired from international sport after last year’s Paralympics but had a late recall to national duty after Robert McPherson was ruled out through illness, are out of play-off contention, however, after suffering a 7-6 defeat to Finland.
Scotland Team Results
Day One
Scotland – Korea 4-6
Scotland – USA 4-7
Day Two
Scotland – Sweden 10-1
Scotland – Denmark 6-4
Day Three
Scotland – Latvia 3-6
Scotland – Czech Republic 9-3
Day Four
Scotland – Japan 6-2
Scotland – Canada 1-8
Day Five
Scotland – Norway 6-5
Scotland – China 2-9
Day Six
Scotland – Italy 6-9
England Team Mixed Doubles Results
Day One
England – Italy 7-6
Day Two
England – Sweden 9-4
England – Latvia 4-8
Day Three
England – Korea 6-5
Day Four
England – Japan 6-4
Day Five
England – Canada 1-9
Day Six
England – Germany 8-4
Scotland Team Mixed Doubles Results
Day One
Scotland - Hungary 3-9
Day Two
Scotland - China 3-10
Day Three
Scotland – Slovakia 0-8
Scotland – Norway 6-11
Day Four
Scotland – Estonia 10-9
Dave Five
Scotland – Switzerland 11-3
Day Six
Scotland – Finland 6-7
The World Wheelchair Curling Championships and World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Champs are being run in parallel at the Richmond Curling Centre in British Columbia (4-12 March).
The participating 12 teams in the World Wheelchair Curling Championships are hosts Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and United States.
The World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Champs participating teams are:
Group A: China, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland and United States.
Group B: Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia and Sweden.
Please click here for more information from the World Curling Federation
Watch games on Recast
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team:
Charlotte McKenna
David Melrose
England Mixed Doubles Team
Rosemary Lenton
Stewart Pimblett
Scotland Team:
Jo Butterfield (MBE)
Meggan Dawson-Farrell
Gregor Ewan
Gary Logan
Hugh Nibloe
Image: WCF/Cheyenne Boone
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