After being inspired by Aileen Neilson and team’s bronze medal at the 2014 Paralympics, Charlotte McKenna is now getting ready to compete at her first World Wheelchair Curling Championships.

Scotland have revealed their team for the 2020 championships which will take place in Wetzikon, Switzerland between 29 February and 7 March with the 44-year-old making her debut.

McKenna will play alongside Robert McPherson, Hugh Nibloe and David Melrose with the fifth player being announced later this month.

That trio also represented Scotland at last year’s championships, which were held in Stirling, where they made the final but were beaten 5-2 by China.

With legendary skip Neilson taking a break from top flight competition, McKenna has made her way through the ranks and is now on the Performance team but none of this would have happened if she hadn’t been captivated by that bronze-medal match in Sochi six years ago.

“It is a lifetime opportunity to represent Scotland at the Worlds and something I never imagined would happen to me when I took up wheelchair curling back in 2014,” she said.

“Watching Aileen Neilson skipping the team to bronze at the Sochi Paralympics inspired me and the following week I phoned Stirling Wheelchair Club to get started and the rest is history. I only wish I had taken it up years ago.

“It is going to be a really exciting few months preparing for the worlds. It is a fantastic sport to be involved in for people of any age and hopefully my example shows that.”

Image credit: Perthshire Picture Agency – Graeme Hart

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