Stewart Pimblett leading charge as English curlers make history

Stewart Pimblett is leading a revolution in British curling.

Having founded the English wheelchair curling team, the Newcastle-native is set to become one of the first Brits from outside Scotland to ever take to the ice at a Paralympic Games.

Pimblett will head to Milano Cortina 2026 for his debut Games as part of the mixed team wheelchair curling team ready to make history on Italian ice.

“It means a lot to me. Curling is traditionally a Scottish sport and we’re definitely changing the landscape of curling in Great Britain,” said the 56-year-old.

“It’s very exciting. At the last World Championships there were 12 players across two different countries who could potentially get selected for the Paralympics for one team. No other country has got that.

“I’m proud of some of the things I’ve done in this sport.”

Pimblett has been in a wheelchair since he was nine years old after breaking his back, and started out as a keen wheelchair basketball player, representing Great Britain on the court.

But after watching wheelchair curling on television at Turin 2006, he was inspired to try it out himself even though it took another four years to get round to it.

“After I tried it in 2010, I thought this is a great sport. A few of my very close friends were sat at home doing nothing so I persuaded them to come and do it with me,” he said.

“So I started a wheelchair curling club, we raised a lot of money in the north east, outside shops shaking buckets. We named the club Northern Ice and it’s still running now.

“After three years I decided I wanted to curl internationally but there was no England, so I went, ‘I’m going to set up England’.

“I’m proud I did that. It was hard work and I’m not very good at reading or writing, but I’m very driven at what I do.”

Now Pimblett is seeing the fruits of his labour with three English curlers selected out of a squad of seven heading to Cortina D’Ampezzo in March.

While Englishman Ken Dickson formed part of the curling squad at Turin 2006, as an alternate he never took to the ice, so Pimblett as well as fellow debutants Karen Aspey and Jason Kean who he helped get started on the ice, will break new ground in Italy.

But Pimblett was not always so sure he would make the plane out to the Paralympic to witness the history he had created.

“They said whoever’s not selected, you can go home after if you’re disappointed. I had my car fully charged to go home that afternoon,” he admitted.

“I just didn’t think I was going to make the team. I’ve curled quite well but I’ve had a lot of changes with my different delivery and I’ve come out stronger from it. 

“I’m over the moon. My family is really proud that I’ve made the team and a few of them are coming out to watch and support so that should be great.”