Being world champions is just unreal
Title win is still sinking in for Laura
There were tears of joy and unbridled happiness for what very much was a pinch yourself kind of moment.
But becoming a World Junior champion is not just about the here and now.
What it has also done for Auchterarder’s Laura Watt – and undoubtedly the rest of Team Henderson – is reaffirm that there is terrific potential for future success in the sport.
Success on the grandest of stages among the best curlers on the planet.
It is, of course, important to enjoy and savour the feeling – what a feeling it was – yet use the experience to fuel
confidence for endeavours to come.
“I think winning the World Juniors has given us all a bit of belief that we can achieve highly in our sport and one day maybe go on to play in the Olympics,” said former Community School of Auchterarder student Watt. “We’ve watched s o
many Scottish girls go to the juniors before us and go on to great things in curling.
“This motivates us to keep up the training and all of our hard work to allow us to achieve like that again and more.”
Team Henderson, which also includes skip Fay Henderson, Perth’s Holly Wilkie- Milne and Robyn Munro, has step-by-step been heading in the right direction across the past year.
They have learned to never throw in the towel and always keep the faith.
That sort of attitude helped them clinch gold in the German town of Füssen.
“This team has been through a lot together in such a short space of time,” Watt admits.
“We ’ v e played 13 tournaments together since August which is a very packed season.
“We’ve just learnt how to be around each other and how to get the best out of us.
“Our skip, Fay, always keeps a calm atmosphere which helps us all to keep level-headed when it comes down to the high pressure shots.
“And we always try to be lighthearted and fun on the ice, which also helps keep the nerves to a minimum.”
Whatever happens in the rest of the team’s curling careers, that Saturday morning brilliance in Bavaria will never be forgotten.
The feeling of accomplishment when Japan’s final stone fell short in the last end, signalling that the trophy was heading back to Scotland, was one of the best in the world.
“Being world champions doesn’t sound real,” Watt said with a smile.
“We’ve all worked very hard to earn the title and it is hard being away from friends and family so often, but wins like Saturday make every bit worth it.
“After the semi-final my team and I were talking about how there is nothing else in the world but sport that can give us this feeling – and that’s how nice it feels.
“The week was just a dream come true for us all.
“We had such a journey to even get to the World Juniors going through the B-division, so being able to go all the way and become World Junior champions just makes us immensely proud of ourselves.
“Having a big group of supporters out there in Füssen with us made the feeling even more special.”
As Watt made her way back to Perthshire earlier this week, the smile was not being wiped off her face and one imagines it will remain for a long time yet.
“It’s hard to explain the emotions we felt after winning,” she concluded. “Becoming a world champion is the ultimate goal as a junior and I couldn’t have imagined how happy I felt.”
There is nothing else in the world but sport that can give us this feeling