Elgin’s Gregor Ewan says missing out on selection for the Wheelchair World Championships hosted in Scotland two years ago is providing extra motivation as he targets the Paralympics in Beijing 2022 next year.
The 49-year-old says the lesson learned when he was not re-selected to the British Curling programme after representing Paralympics GB in PyeongChang three years ago was life changing.
It is exactly one year until Beijing 2022 gets under way and Ewan is desperate to be involved.
“Beijing is the biggest event for curling. It gives you butterflies thinking about it. I am doing everything I can to get there,” said Ewan, who won a bronze medal on his debut at the Paralympics in Sochi in 2014.
“It was hard to accept not being on the programme… for two years it was hard.
“I just love the game so much but I had got complacent on the squad and thought I would always be there.
“I had to change and I did change during that period and I lost weight and I got fitter and I got stronger and that helped me mentally as well.
“Not being on the programme meant I had time to re-evaluate but at the time it felt like a kick in the teeth. De-selection was not a good time for me.”
Rather than wallowing in self-pity, however, Ewan emerged from the experience with a new attitude after identifying key issues.
He said: “I was taking a lot of tablets – pain killers for pain management.
“Luckily after some time just getting more prescriptions without checks I went to Gartnavel Hospital, which helped to manage pain better and taught me how to deal with things differently.
“It was up to me about reducing the tablets.
“I knew that I needed to change and to cut down on the morphine. When I made those changes I had more mental clarity.
“I had become very lazy, so I gave myself a shake as I wanted to do everything I could to be back on the performance programme again.”
‘I was so lucky to get back on the programme’
Taking on a coaching role with English wheelchair curling club Northern Ice and re-setting personal goals to target Scottish and British titles in a bid to force his way back brought a new understanding of the challenges that face British Curling’s Paralympic head coach Sheila Swan.
He said: “It made me realise how hard it is for Sheila (Swan). It made me see things from a very different perspective.
“That insight really helped and made me appreciate how hard it had been to coach me. Getting back on the programme and proving myself became my goal, so I set myself daily and weekly goals.
“It meant that even if I did not meet them all I would hopefully make most of them so I always felt like I was making progress and not slipping backwards.
“I was so lucky to get back on the programme – I had to work for it and it was a time to get my priorities right. That was my first target and my next is getting a medal at the World Championships.
“In my head I want a medal and that is what I am concentrating on and then I want my long-term goal – Beijing. I might not make it but I can target it so what will be will be.”
Ewan is grateful that the second chance he has been given with British Curling has given him a real sense of purpose through a universally difficult period.
He said: “This past year has been especially hard on everyone. The isolation as a result of lockdown is brutal but I am so lucky to be back on the programme.
“It has been great through all of this to have the routine and the support of the programme.
“Being back on the programme and having that medal target and working hard for it has been what has kept going through all of this.
“I don’t know how much harder it would have been without a goal and a focus.
“Training hard has kept me going without a doubt and I want to help make a tight unit on the squad.
“Everyone has a voice in the group so I urge everyone to use it and to input. Some might be more experienced than others but we are all learning, every one of us and working hard together helps to form a good team unit and you need everyone in the team to win a medal.
“I am 50 years old in June and I want to make sure that by that milestone I have achieved more targets and I am on track with my long-term goals.”
