Curlers selected for British programme
Jazz Carlin entertained members
“Jazz had been doing some online exercise workouts for kids to join free of charge. We asked her and, quite simply, she said yes.
“We wanted to get a female perspective so it wasn’t just the boys. She talked about football, swimming for Wales, Team GB and what she has done now that she is retired.
“There was a whole plethora of questions and Zoom has made it so much easier.”
The local swim club has been keeping members active amid the coronavirus outbreak. One particular challenge involves virtually travelling around the world, taking in the Olympic cities en route, by walking, running or cycling.
Carol said:“We thought we would maybe get to London, but managed to get there in the first weekend.
“We have just under 90 people taking part every day. There are families walking, cycling and running, then sending in pictures of their route and how many kilometres they have run.
“Every night we have someone totalling it all up and revealing where we are on the map.”
Carol added:“We have a family quiz every alternate Saturday night.
“We also got members to design a swim cap and, when we get back into the water, the winning cap will be printed. Everyone will get one.
“There is still strength and conditioning for the performance squad twice a week on Zoom and Stephen is about to start doing yoga once a week. We just need to keep everyone as fit and active as we can.
“Everyone had just renewed their membership and we’re hoping, because we’ve been trying to engage almost every day, that we will have them all back when it is possible.”
British Curling has announced its women’s programme teams for 2020/21 - and two Perthshire athletes are included.
Blair Atholl’s Eve Muirhead and former Perth Academy student Mili Smith, from Guildtown, were both selected to receive support from the programme.
Muirhead, a three-time Olympian, will again be taking to the ice with Lauren Gray, Jen Dodds and Vicky Wright when sport returns after the coronavirus outbreak.
“We want to build on last year and it was good to get the call that we were selected as the podium team for the season ahead,” Muirhead said.
“It takes a lot of hard work to be the top women’s team in Scotland and that is why it is important to have the back up and support from the programme and UK Sport.
“That will really help us be in the best shape we can be and gives us the best chance of reaching our goal of getting to Beijing in 2022.
“Lockdown, of course, presented lots of challenges to all of the teams when we would normally have been travelling or competing together.
“But I think we will all come out stronger as a result of this and, despite being physically apart, we have done well touching base with each other and keeping our team goals on track.
“On a personal level, this is probably the longest spell away from the ice since rehab and it has enabled me to really focus on lots of additional strength work.
“I think I will get a lot of benefit from this enforced break and what I have been able to achieve during this period.
“Without doubt there are everyday challenges for everyone in this situation and I think as a team this is probably the biggest one we have had to face together.
“We are dealing with it the best we can and we have a solid cohesive unit which achieved some good results last season and it is going to be exciting to get that going again.”
Smith, a national champion in 2019, will be joining forces with Gina Aitken, Sophie Sinclair and Rebecca Morrison as a ‘podium potential’ team.
“It is a really exciting time to be moving up from foundation to podium level,” said Smith’s new team-mate Morrison.
“The support I received last year made such a difference and really improved my curling.
“It was not just the individual technical coaching and team sessions, it was also getting access to sports psychology, which was a huge benefit to us especially during competitions, and I will never underestimate how much it helped.”
Teams will already have an eye on the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
British Curling’s executive performance director Nigel Holl is confident with the programme selections.
He said: “We enter the final two years of the cycle leading into the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 with real positivity and optimism.
“The athletes we are announcing have every opportunity to qualify and represent Scotland and Great Britain at European, world and Olympic level. And when they do, they will be as prepared as well as they possibly can be.
“There are real uncertainties with regards to the shape of the season ahead, but I know these teams, together with the staff at British Curling, will adapt and flex to ensure we achieve our collective goals.”