After being recognised by his fellow competitors for his outstanding sportsmanship during the team event, England skip Stewart Pimblett is aiming to build on the performances that took them to the brink of the play-offs as he and Karen Aspey contest the mixed doubles at the World Wheelchair Championships in Stevenston this week.
Finishing with five wins, England matched British Curling colleagues Scotland’s overall record in the team competition, both missing out on the knockout stages only on head-to-head record to Slovakia.
It was an extraordinary performance by the team that had claimed the last of the qualifying places in the 12-team event and Pimblett earning the World Curling Sportsmanship Award, spoke to the way they set about the challenge. 
“It was huge honour which meant a lot to me, but it was also generated by my team mates, especially Jason Kean who has a great knack of making me giggle while I am out on the ice,” he said.
“We take our roles and representing our country very seriously, but when you think about all we have been through to get to these Champs, both on and off the ice, it is important not to let the pressure of the situation get to you.
“It means a lot to all of us to play for England but we have to enjoy it and have fun out there so we get the best out of each other.
“Jason really is the joker in the pack who has a great ability to keep things light when we might be feeling it out there on the ice.
“The award really was the cherry on the cake after a great week at the World Championships, but it was very much a result of a great team effort so I am over the moon to get the award and to be flying the flag for England Wheelchair Curling.
“We obviously missed out on the play-offs but one of our key goals after getting promoted to the A’s was to ensure we didn’t get relegated, so doing enough to stay up meant a lot to all of us and to be honest it almost felt as though we had won the event having achieved that.”
Since Aspey was also part of that team effort, he believes they are well set to impress further in the mixed doubles.
“Now Karen and I get to go again and I feel we have learned a lot about the venue and the ice over the last week,” said Pimblett. 
“We were a partnership at this event last year as well, so we have a lot to build on in the next few days and I think we both feel ready for this.
“Last year Karen was making her debut at the World Mixed Doubles and we have come a long way since then, so while we know that international wheelchair curling is constantly improving, I think so are we.
“We will enjoy getting back on that ice and knowing this is what we have been training hard for and we are up for the challenge.”
Also returning to the ice at the Auchenharvie Leisure Centre is High Nibloe, who skipped Scotland through that so near, yet so far team effort.
He is joined in the mixed doubles by Charlotte McKenna who joins the Scotland camp this week and is ready to make her mark.
“It has been great watching the event and being a cheerleader for my British Curling squad mates competing for Scotland and England,” she said.
“The atmosphere has been brilliant, so I am really looking to getting out there with Hugh and I know how much he is looking forward to this as well.”
The tone could not be better set for the event as the British Curling pairs begin with a mouth-watering clash, coming up against one another in the opening round of matches. 
“We start out competing against Karen and Stewart and we all know a lot about each other training alongside them in the NCA, so it is going to be an exciting start to the event for all of us,” said McKenna
“Hopefully we all do well so we can hold our heads high at the end of the week, knowing we have done everything we can and not leaving anything out there on the ice.”
As was the case in the team event, where the job was done, the host nation’s pair has added responsibility since Scotland is the country nominated to chase the qualifying points necessary to get ParalympicsGB to next year’s Winter Paralympics.
“As point carriers, it would mean a lot to Hugh and I to get that ParalympicsGB spot for Milan Cortina, which is going to be quite a challenge this week,” said McKenna.
“I missed out going to Beijing as I broke my leg just before the last Paralympic Games, so was ruled out, but I am eager to get that chance to be able to call myself a Paralympian.
“However, there are a lot of games and good results riding on that before we can even think about qualifying and then selection, so we need to start well.
“Being among familiar faces might actually be a help as we start our campaign and I can’t wait to get the chance to compete in front of a home crowd this week and make them all proud.”
World Curling Mixed Doubles Championships (March 11-16)
Day One -Tuesday 11 March
Session 2 – 13.00
Scotland – England
Session 4 – 20.00
Scotland – Turkiye
Day Two – Wednesday 12 March
Session 5 – 09.30
England – Slovakia
Session 7 – 16.30
England – Turkiye
Session 8 – 20.00
Scotland – Korea
Day Three – Thursday 13 March
Session 10 – 13.00
Scotland - Hungary
Session 12 – 20.00
Scotland – Slovakia
England – ESP
Day Four – Friday 14 March
Session 13 – 09.30
England – Hungary
Session 16 – 20.00
England - Korea
Scotland – ESP
Day Five – Saturday 15 March
Quarter Finals – 10.00
Semi Finals – 17.00
Day Six – Sunday 16 March
Bronze medal match – 10.00
Gold medal match – 16.00
Please click here for results.
Watch LIVE streamed games on Curling Stadium Europe and The Curling Channel.
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team
Hugh Nibloe (skip)
Charlotte McKenna
Coaches:
Head Coach: Sheila Swan
Team Coach: Niall Ryder
England Mixed Doubles Team
Stewart Pimblett (skip)
Karen Aspey
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tony Lenton
Coach: Rosemary Lenton
Coach: Luke Carson
For more information on our Paralympic Pathway Programme and opportunities please email: Cheryl.lappin@britishcurling.org.uk
Images: Award image: World Curling, action:@tdf_photography3
