THE CURLING ROAD TO VICTORY

THE Curling

ROAD TO VICTORY

Euan’s Guide, the charity which runs the disabled access review website EuansGuide.com, interviewed Gary Smith, a long time Euan’s Guide reviewer and an Ambassador for the charity. Gary is also a member of the British Curling Paralympic wheelchair curling squad and he provides a glimpse of what the last year has been like for professional athletes.

At the age of 51, Gary might not seem like your stereotypical Paralympic hopeful, but Gary’s been training for this most of his life. Talking to Gary you quickly discover his love of sports. In fact, Gary was first introduced to Euan’s Guide when he met Paul Ralph, access and inclusion director at Euan’s Guide, at a football match watching their favourite team play. Gary shares his journey to becoming a professional curler: “I only started curling six years ago, but I’ve been involved in team sports for as long as I can remember. I played wheelchair basketball for around 20 years. I went from playing locally to playing in tournaments as far west as Texas, USA, to as far east as Japan. I took on coaching roles but continued to play competitively until an injury forced me to retire.

“My introduction to curling came from Tom Killin, my first basketball coach who I’d always kept in contact with. Tom was part of the ParalympicsGB wheelchair curling team that won a silver medal at the first Paralympic wheelchair curling event in 2006. When Tom was asked to help coach at the wheelchair curling club set up at my local ice rink, Murrayfield in Edinburgh, I went along to give it a try and instantly loved it. “Determined to master the sport I became a member of Lothian Wheelchair Curling Club and also South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club and curled whenever I could. Then, in 2019, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to compete and train at the highest level when I was selected to join the British Curling Programme Squad. I couldn’t believe it! I really had to pinch myself to realise I had been given this opportunity. “Last year started with me representing Scotland at the 2020 World championships in Wetzikon, Switzerland. It was the most amazing feeling putting on that top and hearing your national anthem being played. But then within a matter of weeks we were in lockdown trying to find ways to train and keep fit at home. “While it was strange to be off the ice, I know I’m in a

Always at the back of my mind is my ultimate goal of winning a gold medal as part of the ParalympicsGB wheelchair curling team

very fortunate position as I have the help of coaching and support staff from British Curling and Scottish Institute of Sport. People often don’t realise that it is a massive team effort behind the scenes to enable athletes to perform at their best and focus on the job we have to do and that hasn’t changed.” “Our coach Shelia Swan was in touch daily which was great, it provided a routine and support as well as giving us a chance to flag anything up. I also had regular catch-ups with other coaches, the sports psychologist, nutritionist, physio, and performance lifestyle adviser.” This support was there to help athletes maintain their health and fitness at home. Gary shares how he maintained his fitness level through a mix of cardiovascular and strength exercises at home:

“One of the first challenges I faced was trying to get equipment to be able to do strength sessions on my own at home. It turned out toilet rolls weren’t the only thing in high demand, there was a shortage of gym equipment too. I eventually sourced dumbbells, resistance bands and battle ropes to keep me going. The strength and conditioning coach helped create a plan for me to follow and we had video calls together and with other players. “We’re expected to do some form of cardiovascular exercise every day, and usually that means pushes in your wheelchair, either outdoors or using a treadmill. Luckily, my coaching and basketball experience came in handy here and helped me beat the boredom of training at home and doing the same thing day after day. I incorporated other exercises, like doing outdoor circuit training with my basketball, to help mix up my cardiovascular sessions.” Exercising daily on your own can take its toll, Gary shares how his competitive side helped him stay focused: “Keeping motivated has been quite easy for me as I have a clear goal I’m working towards. I need to stay fit and focused as I’m still competing for a place in the World Championships team. Always at the back of my mind is my ultimate goal of winning a gold medal as part of the ParalympicsGB wheelchair curling team at the 2022 Winter Paralympics. “There were still times when it was tough. I missed sessions with teammates and being able to have a bit of a laugh together amongst the seriousness of training.”

Gary shared that the British Curling Programme Squad has been able to resume some of their training together on the ice and in the gym in recent months. This is largely thanks to the hard work of British Curling, SportScotland and the Scottish Government working together to put in place strict protocols and procedures to keep the athletes and staff safe.

Touching on some of the changes and being able to train together, Gary said: “These sessions follow strict hygiene measures and we all have our temperatures checked before we even get in the door, but it does feel brilliant to be back together again.” “The pressure is on now to perform at our best, improve our game and earn our spot to represent our country at future competitions.” You can read more individuals’ experiences of life during the pandemic in the Voices of COVID blog series, visit EuansGuide.com/voices-of-covid.

GARY’S TIPS FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH IN 2021:

No. ~ 1 Try to keep a healthy balanced diet eating a good amount of fruit and veg each day balanced with proteins and carbohydrates. Look for good, reliable sources of information. Keep well hydrated and stay away from fried foods as much as possible.

No. ~ 2 Know that being in the gym is not for everyone. Whatever you do, start slowly and work your way up. Get medical advice before starting any kind of exercise regime. Try to find things that you enjoy doing. The more you enjoy it, the more you will want to keep doing it and stick with it.

All images by PPA Graeme Hart