With British Curling’s largest ever Paralympic squad preparing for a season that will culminate in Milan-Cortina next year, the organisation’s Paralympic Pathway programme has been boosted by a new partnership with the Wheelpower charity and the Tunbridge Wells Curling Club in England’s south-east.
The ‘Push Yourself’ Pathway Recruitment campaign will look to build on the huge success the recruitment events have already achieved since the inception of the programme’s Para Pathway, with wheelchair users (aged 16+) having benefitted from UK wide events which has helped to develop a growing number of wheelchair curlers north and south of the border joining the Paralympic programme or wheelchair curling clubs and growing the game. 
As well as the success of the ‘Push Yourself’ campaign having resulted in the largest ever squad of athletes targeting the Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina 2026, the current GB squad, which includes Hugh Nibloe and Charlotte McKenna, Scotland’s silver medal winning mixed doubles pair from this year’s World Championships, also contains its largest ever cohort of English athletes.
Several of the newest squad members have been selected through the Para Pathway recruitment events and have progressed rapidly at British Curling’s high performance facility at the National Curling Academy (NCA) in Stirling.
They include Wigan based Karen Aspey who travels to train each week at the NCA and graduated from one of the first ‘Female Only’ campaign events.
She has since represented England at two World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championships – the newest wheelchair discipline which will feature in the Milan Cortina Paralympic programme for the first time in 2026 – as well as helping earning England’s promotion to the World Championships last season in the team event and following a successful campaign earlier this year they maintained that position in the A division.
Aspey acknowledges that taking that first opportunity at the recruitment event several years ago has led to an international career that she had never previously dreamt of. She is now part of the 17 strong squad competing for seven places in the ParalympicsGB team that will go to Milan Cortina next year..
“When I first tried wheelchair curling at a Female Only event I thought it may be the start of a new sporting interest for me, but never imagined that I would go on to represent England at three World Champs,” she said.
“Just one decision has transformed my daily routine and life and it has all happened quite quickly for me and now I am in a large squad getting to train and get coached in a world class facility.”
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind but I could potentially be looking at going to my first Paralympics next year, which sounds incredible to me,” she added.
“So if I can do this, so can anyone, so give this a try this year, you never know where that one decision could take you.”
Another Female Only recruitment event at Preston in September kick starts the campaign this season and England will also stage the third event currently scheduled.
“These events are really starting to deliver results now and we are delighted to have new partners Wheelpower and Tunbridge Wells Curling Club on board,” said British Curling’s Paralympic Pathway Manager Cheryl Lappin.
“The rapid growth of the sport south of the border has contributed to us being able to assemble the biggest ever GB squad aiming for Paralympic selection and these events have not only boosted numbers and competition for Milan Cortina, but will also help drive competition ahead of future Games in the 2030 Alps cycle and beyond. 
“These are exciting times in this truly inclusive and welcoming programme and we have a range of dates and locations already in the calendar for this year, so I would highly recommend interested wheelchair users (aged 16+) getting in touch to book a place.”
Scheduled events:
- Female Only Recruitment Event (UK wide invite) Monday 8th September 2025, hosted at the FlowerBowl Entertainment Centre, Preston
- Scotland wide Recruitment event Monday 22nd September, hosted at the National Curling Academy, Stirling (both males and females welcome)
- England wide Recruitment event (in partnership with Wheelpower) Wednesday 1st October, hosted at Tunbridge Wells Curling Rink (both males and females welcome).
Please get in touch if you are interested in any of the scheduled events sign up here or to sign up directly to the Tunbridge Wells event in October please contact us via Learn to Curl with WheelPower and British Curling - WheelPower
For any further information please contact: British Curling’s Paralympic Pathway Manager Cheryl Lappin: Cheryl.lappin@britishcurling.org.uk or: T: +447577830360
