Curling queen’s top award
Kirsty’s 40 years on ice
She’s the queen of the ice in South Ayrshire.
But modest Kirsty Letton plays down her national accolade and claims they are many more who are equally as deserving.
Kirsty, 77, has dedicated her life to curling in Scotland and has no intention of retiring any time soon.
In 4 0 y e a r s o f volunteering on the rink, Kirsty has inspired hundreds of others to get involved in the sport.
Since 2014 she has been a driving force behind the Try Curling, Beginners, Improvers and Curling’s Cool programmes in Ayr, which have seen the number of active coaches delivering sessions increase from five to 25.
Gran- of- three Kirsty proudly collected her sportscotland lifetime volunteering award at a ceremony in the Stirling Court Hotel which was hosted by BBC Scotland’s Bryan Burnett.
Kirsty, of Troon, quipped: “It ’ s very embarrassing. There are loads of volunteers who do as much as me although not maybe for so long.”
Remarkably, Kirsty still curls with the same team of ladies she first played with in Glasgow more than 40 years ago.
And although moving to Ayrshire 21 years ago and joining the Troon Portland club the link has never been broken.
The highlight of Kirsty’s playing career was winning senior silver in the World Championships in Finland in 2008.
Kirsty’s professional approach has motivated South Ayrshire primary pupils to have fun on the ice, with 269 youngsters participating in her taster sessions last season.
As well as inspiring the stars of tomorrow, Kirsty instigated the strongly contested World Senior Curling Championships in 2000. She also set up the Glynhill Ladies Curling International event, which attracts world- class teams.
She added: “Without curling I wouldn’t have had so many opportunities or challenges and I wouldn’t have had as much pleasure as I have had.
“I don’t know where I would be without curling. It has been a huge part of my life for 40 years.
“At the end of the day I still enjoy playing the game and enjoy the challenges of coaching.
“The sport is so enjoyable for me, so it’s good to see so many others enjoy it because they are playing better and achieving more.”
Kirsty was nominated by The Royal Caledonian Curling Club’s Head of Development Judith McCleary.
Judith said: “Kirsty truly demonstrates and encompasses what volunteering is all about. She is modest, hard working and passionate about developing curling in the community and asks for nothing in return.”
S t e w a r t Ha r r i s , Chief Executive of sportscotland, added: “Kirsty has dedicated her life to curling in Scotland, inspiring many to take up the sport and help the nation perform on the world stage.
“In her incredible 40 years as a volunteer she has helped make curling more accessible for hundreds of youngsters and encouraged people of all ages to be the best players they can be.”