The Prince and Princess of Wales visited British Curling’s National Curling Academy (NCA) in Stirling today, to meet with all of the Olympians and Paralympians who will represent Great Britain at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the first of which gets underway in less than two weeks time.
After meeting with all of the British Curling athletes and coaching staff, the Royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay while they are in Scotland, took to the ice to try their hands at curling and were coached by World number one skip and World Champion Bruce Mouat and his mixed doubles partner Olympic Champion Jen Dodds, before contesting a head-to-head closest to the button competition. 
Dodds and Mouat, who both hail from Edinburgh, are the first of the Team GB athletes who will be in action in Milan-Cortina as their mixed doubles campaign gets underway on 4 February, before the official opening of the Olympic Winter Games on 6 February.
Their Royal Highnesses also spent time with ParalympicsGB mixed doubles pairing Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean, both of whom are among the first English athletes selected to represent Great Britain in the sport, as well as among the first to compete in the mixed doubles discipline, which has been included for the first time in the Milan Cortina Paralympics programme.
Kean, who will be making his Paralympic debut when the mixed doubles gets underway at the Games on 4 March, said he was absolutely ‘buzzing’ after meeting the Royal pair.
“It feels such a privilege to have met them, two of the most recognisable faces on the planet and they knew who I was and knew my name,” he said.
“I am absolutely buzzing after that Royal visit and they said they would be watching all of us which just makes you want to go out there to Cortina and make them and the nation proud. 
“It has been an amazing time, getting selected for my first Paralympics and then meeting Royalty here at the NCA where we train every day, one of those pinch me moments and a day I will never forget.”
British Curling’s CEO Nigel Holl, Team GB’s Curling Team Leader travelling out to Italy with the Olympians, was part of the welcoming party.
“We were honoured to have this visit from their Royal Highnesses to our elite performance centre, showcasing the excellent facility we have here in Scotland thanks to support from Stirling Council and the National Lottery, providing world class ice year round for the very best athletes from either side of the border.
“The timing fitted in perfectly with a training day for the Paralympic team and the Olympians just before they enter the Olympic holding camp next week, ahead of their final preparations for Milan Cortina, ensuring that they will all be able to perform when it counts when they get to Cortina.”
Images: The Prince and Princess of Wales
