Age: 21
Hometown: Stirling
What sport are you involved in and what is it that you love about it?
I am a British Curling athlete and have played the sport since I was 7 years old, moving through the local junior pathway all the way to competing internationally at world championships. Initially I loved the challenge it brought as a technical sport, and the opportunities to compete against boys, and people of all ages and backgrounds in club games. That continues to drive my love for the sport, and now my community has expanded to include athletes from all over the world. Curling has opened my eyes to many opportunities in sport and beyond; and has also taught me to deal with hardships and build my personal confidence as a young woman.
What motivated you to be part of the Young People’s Sport Panel?
I never enjoyed sports outside of curling growing up, and since getting into physical training via the performance pathway I have found a love for moving my body and for engaging with and learning new sports. Physical activity and sport has changed my life in incredible ways.
I have also encountered a lot of very challenging scenarios through competing in sport that have made me determined to make positive changes to both the sporting culture in our country from recreational to elite level, and in the accessibility of the sporting environment to a range of groups. A key area of focus for me moving forward is improving our awareness and skillset in welcoming neurodiversity in sport and physical activity. The Young People’s Sport Panel is a brilliant platform to make positive and lasting change in Scottish sport, and combining this opportunity with my drive to understand and improve the relatively unknown relationship between sport and neurodiversity is very exciting.
How do you think sport can help support young people in Scotland?
Sport in itself is a brilliant pastime, and can provide excitement, competition, and success- but it is the vast topics related to it that are also important. Sport provides a platform for dealing with much wider issues and can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing from more than just a physical perspective. It provides a community that can be incredibly diverse and brings together people from all over the world- regardless of background, gender, ethnicity etc. in both competitive and recreational forms of play. It can also provide an emotional outlet to help deal with the varied issues that arise as you grow up, it can build a community and friendships, it provides fun way of looking after your physical fitness, and so on. The impact of sport is far-reaching, and very important in development of young people into happy and healthy adults who are equipped to cope with change and hardship.
Is there a role model who inspires you? What is it about them that you admire?
My role model is Emma Watson because she has always been a very outspoken ambassador for change. She discusses and defends topics she is passionate about in a very articulate and clever way and manages to make real change globally in very complex and ever-changing issues. She focuses primarily on advocating for women’s rights across the world, which is a topic very close to my own heart, but she also has a link with neurodiversity. She herself has ADHD, which may seem surprising to many people. It is a powerful example that people are not always as they seem, and that everybody struggles with their own differences and sees the world in unique ways.