The Scotland teams have been selected for the World Wheelchair Champs and World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championships which will be run simultaneously for the first time when they get underway at the Richmond Curling Centre in British Columbia, Canada next month (4-12 March 2023).
The line-up for the team event features a new face in Jo Butterfield, a Paralympic gold medallist who was awarded the MBE for services to athletics before switching sports just last year.
She has forced her way into the team alongside three of the players who represented Team GB at last year’s Paralympics, Meggan Dawson-Farrell, Gregor Ewan and Hugh Nibloe, as well as Gary Logan, who has represented at a previous World Championship when Scotland won silver in 2019 and Butterfield admits to having surprised herself in doing so. 
“If you had said to me six months ago when I first transferred to wheelchair curling that I would be heading off to my first World Championships now I would have probably laughed,” she said.
“If I am honest the overriding feeling right now is excitement, though. I love competing, I always have and to compete at a major championships is what I really strive for.
“So thinking that in just over a month I will be competing at my first World Wheelchair Curling Champs it just gives me a buzz.”
Having previously enjoyed major success on behalf of ParalympicsGB, she is now getting the opportunity to represent her adopted homeland.
“I think this is my first ever selection for Scotland and being a good Yorkshire lass it actually feels good,” she laughed.
“Joking aside, I have lived in Scotland for the biggest part of my life and it has always been really frustrating that I have not had the chance to represent Scotland so to now be in a sport where I get this chance and get this opportunity it does make me feel really proud.”
She brings into the arena the edge of a hardened competitor in striving to make a mark on a new sport.
“It’s been a big change,” said Butterfield.
“I was at a stage in athletics where I was comfortable. I knew what I was doing and how I did it and I am not going to lie, this transition has been hard at times.
“I am a very competitive person which is good and bad, but it makes me be really hard on myself to be the best and to be the best right now, so starting again at the bottom learning a new sport from scratch has taken me out of my comfort zone and it’s not always been easy.
“But in many ways I have enjoyed that challenge and being out of my comfort zone and learning something new. 
“I know I am by no means the finished article and still have a huge amount of learning to do in this sport, but it is nice to see that the hard work I have put in so far is paying off and I know that I will give everything.
“Transition has helped me learn that I can be comfortable being uncomfortable and from my previous endeavours I have huge knowledge and confidence that I love competing at a major championships, that is really where I thrive so that is something really positive to carry forward when we make this trip.
“As a team we are trying to learn to know each other better, what makes each other tick and how do we make each other better at what we are trying to do and I think our last competition in particular really demonstrated that things are progressing and things are improving and that is a real positive to take with us.”
That was on home ice at the National Curling Academy, where they beat all three opposing teams in the course of the event, while Butterfield also believes the squad has benefited, ahead of this event, in having toured North America earlier this season.
“Heading back out to Canada it is quite comforting now that is not completely unknown and when we were out there what struck me was the number of people involved and how everybody out there loves curling so I am sure we will get a lot of support out there which will be great,” she said.
“I have also had the chance to play against some of the teams we will be meeting which is a bonus and I am not fazed by anybody.
“Perhaps that is where my naivety in the sport helps and my goal as an individual and as a team is to finish with heads held high knowing that we have given everything and given the best that we can do right now.
“Everybody going there is after a medal and I am confident if we play the best we are capable of we can beat anyone on the day, but if we leave knowing no stone has been left unturned and we are happy with our performance then for me that is a success.”
Scotland will meanwhile be represented at the Mixed Doubles event for the first time, with squad regular Charlotte McKenna joining forces with Robert McPherson, who has recently returned to the squad, having previously competed in two Paralympics, winning a bronze medal in Sochi in 2014.
“I am absolutely and totally excited,” said McPherson.
“I have been playing mixed doubles quite a bit and have played with Charlie since my return to the programme and then got the call, so I am over the moon.
“It’s different to the team game. It keeps your mind going constantly.
“It’s great to have a new challenge. I really enjoyed playing mixed doubles.”
Like Butterfield, he has surprised himself by gaining World Championship selection as quickly as he has since returning to the squad.
“When I left the programme two years ago because of ill health, I didn’t think I’d ever get to another Worlds, so it’s going to be a real honour to be wearing a Scotland top again,” said McPherson.
“Playing for Scotland and playing for Great Britain is the best thing I’ve ever done.
“I’ve been to Canada numerous times and because curling is so important there, it will hopefully attract big crowds.” 
Scotland is one of twelve teams that will contest the team event in which China are reigning champs, while 23 teams will contest the Mixed Doubles event with Sweden defending that title.
For British Curling’s Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan, these World Championships represent an important opportunity to assess her players with the focus having moved to the Milan/Cortina cycle this season.
“Last season we had the challenge of preparing athletes for a Paralympics and a World Championships in the same season and now we are adapting to fielding teams in two World Championships being run simultaneously at the same venue,” she said.
“We are up for that challenge and thanks to our excellent support staff at British Curling, we are preparing our athletes as well as possible for this two discipline event.”
Scotland Team: (Playing positions TBC)
Jo Butterfield (MBE)
Meggan Dawson-Farrell
Gregor Ewan
Gary Logan
Hugh Nibloe
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team:
Charlotte McKenna
Robert McPherson
Participating nations in World Wheelchair Champs: Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United States.
Participating nations in World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles: Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United States.
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