British Curling’s wheelchair squad believe they have benefited from a rare opportunity to compete overseas and are keen to be given more opportunities to broaden their horizons as they look to gain momentum in the Paralympic cycle building towards the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina.
The eight player squad were mixed and matched during the trip to North America as Paralympic Head Coach Sheila Swan tried to take full advantage of the chance to weigh up her options ahead of a return trip to Canada for this season’s World Championships in the spring. 
Results were mixed, with one of the teams reaching the semi-finals of the A event and the other reaching the semi-finals of the B event at the Ontario Wheelchair Open in Tortonto, before they crossed the border to Portage, where both teams won three of their seven matches at the US Open.
The trip was a new experience for Jo Butterfield and Martin Sutherland, newcomers to curling at this level, but also for Gary Logan, who has been recalled to the squad after a three year absence and for Stuart Pimblett, who stepped up from the transition squad this year.
“This is the furthest I have travelled with the squad,” said Logan.
“It feels really good to be back in the British Curling squad I think we played well.
“I think we need more competitions like this. We need the practice as I think it is a great opportunity to improve and there is room for improvement.”
Pimblett was given the chance to demonstrate his leadership credentials and while he was encouraged by what he encountered he is travelling home with a great awareness of what is required at elite level.
“I was skipping and I thought we did very well, stuck together through the highs and the lows and performed well over the two events,” he said.
“I was completely out of my comfort zone but I feel I did ok in parts but great support on and off the ice helped me get through that.
“The ice conditions were a lot slower than we were used to at the NCA so we had to adapt to that.
“Going home I am going to focus on getting fitter – that will help with the travelling and competing.
“I have travelled quite a bit and having support on a trip is extremely important and I have loved every minute of it to be honest.
“I think travelling for competition is just great because if we want to get to the very top we are going to have to be doing as much travelling as we can. I have waited a long time for this opportunity and I have enjoyed every single minute of it.”
Having been selected for this year’s Paralympics in Beijing, before suffering the disappointment of missing out when she was ruled out by injury, Charlotte McKenna was among those who were given a range of opportunities, playing in different teams and positions.
“I played in two different teams and was skipped by Stewart and was also in a team skipped by Gregor (Ewan) and it was good to playing second rocks – not a position I usually play as I usually play at lead so it was a good challenge to take on,” she said.
“I enjoyed being vice skip to Stewart and felt that we worked together really well at the US Open
“It was nice to play against new teams. We didn’t know how they would play so we didn’t know what to expect from them which was really good experience and we hope for more of the same in the future.
“It is nice to travel further to get used to it as we prepare for the Worlds in March.”
US Open teams:
British Curling Team 1 British Curling Team 2Gregor Ewan Stewart PimblettHugh Nibloe Martin Sutherland
Gary Logan Charlotte McKennaMeggan Dawson-Farrell Jo Butterfield
Event Schedule:
Friday 2 December
AM – Ewan v Rice 3-9
PM – Pimblett v Rice 5-3
PM – Ewan v Timberlake 6-3
Saturday 3 December
AM - Ewan v Meadows 7-2
AM - Pimblett v Snover 8-5
PM – Pimblett v Ewan 2-6
PM – Pimblett v White 1-7
PM – Ewan v Snover 4-9
Sunday 4 December
AM – Ewan v Sadowski 2-10
AM- Pimblett v Emt 4-10
AM – Ewan v Emt 2-5
AM – Pimblett v Sadowski 5-6
