Butterfield bidding to complete remarkable golden double

Jo Butterfield is bidding to make history at the Winter Paralympics alongside the wheelchair curling squad that helped her through a battle with cancer.

The 46-year-old will bid to become the first Brit to win gold at the summer and Winter Paralympics, having claimed the F51 club throw title at Rio 2016.

Butterfield made the switch to wheelchair curling in 2022, but just a year later was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her newfound sport, however, provided a welcome relief from the chemotherapy and immunotherapy that followed.

“The team was massive in supporting me. Being able to come in and go to training with a team was the only time I didn’t think about having cancer,” said Butterfield, who lives in Glasgow.

“It was because they still treated me the same. When I was there, I was slagged off the same as everybody else.

“I was encouraged, whatever we were doing, and it was all just about curling in a team.”

While the ParalympicsGB squad travelling to Cortina will be seven strong, Butterfield will partner Jason Kean in the mixed doubles event that will debut at the Games.

And after leaning into the support the team were able to offer to her, she has been able to build a strong relationship with Kean in an event that is novel to them both, and impart her own experience of past Games.

“We work together really well. We’re honest. We tell each other exactly what we’re thinking, what we’re feeling and that’s gone a long way,” she said.

“We’ve got such a close relationship that when we’re on ice, we know how to get the best out of each other. That’s what is going to stand us in good stead.

“He’s very excitable. I love Jay, he’s full of energy. He definitely is the cheerleader of the squad. But every now and then you need that little bit of right now’s enough, time to zone in.

“I think I’m pretty good at being able to calm him down a little bit when needed. But I’ve also had the joy of his excitement. I’m really enjoying that.”

And while she and Kean are bound to make history in some form by competing in a new event, she has also set her sights on writing some individual history, too.

“I’ve put it out there that I want to win gold at both the summer and Winter Paralympics. It is my absolute goal and I’ll do everything I can to achieve it,” said Butterfield.

“It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud and it is going to be a tall order, but it would be pretty cool wouldn’t it?”