Although there was no on ice session in Elgin through the summer, our twice weekly gym sessions continued.  I was fortunate also to be invited to 2 GB summer camps in Stirling for on/off ice tuition, although I was only able to attend one due to chronic back pain. 

The ice started again in September and we are now receiving Institute on ice training every Monday afternoon in Elgin.  This is currently going well with a new Coach, Joan Reed who previously coached the English Squad. 

Our first competition of the Season was the British Open this year.  I teamed up with 3 other members of the Development Squad.  Although we were not on the Winners list we played very well and thoroughly enjoyed the competition at the Green Hotel in Kinross,

My next event was an International in Norway.  It was a very tiring competition as on our arrival we were informed we could not play at the local rink 10 minutes away but would have to travel 2 hours to Oslo and back again in the evening after competing.  The team this time was, Gregor from Elgin, Rosemary (GB), and Ian Donaldson also from the Development squad.  This competition was won by Team GB with us a very respectable 5th.  We were a team who had never played together before this event and all our opponents were national squads, including the current Olympic and World Champions.

We returned from Norway on the Monday evening and headed to Kinross for another International Competition starting the following day.  We were all mixed up again into different teams from the Development Squad.  There was Team GB and Scotland 1, 2, and 3.  My team did very well and were the only home side to have more than one win.  So Scotland 3 finished a very respectable 5th.  Yet again a team I had never played with playing National Squads.  We were so close to getting into the positions.  Unfortunately our last stone went a ¼ of an inch too far!!  It was great fun though and some very competitive play.

It was now time for the National Pairs in Braehead Glasgow.  I was playing with Mo Simpson from Highland.  Unfortunately was not getting her weight and  we did not make it through to Sundays play.  It was the first time I had played pairs in the format of 3 stones each playing 5 ends.  It is a totally different game to playing 4 stones each.  Your tactics totally changed and you had to think.

So for the time being we are back to our weekly regime of on ice coaching on Monday afternoon and strength and conditioning on Wednesday and Fridays.  I would like to thank everyone who assists me when the coach is not in the gym with me and passes equipments etc.  Sometimes I am unable to make the Wed and Fri sessions due to pain or hospital appointments etc so I catch up by doing my session on a Thursday and Saturday.  Without the help of the gym staff and other gym users I would not be able to complete my programme on my own.

So once again many thanks to all the staff at the Leisure Centre for all the support they give me on the Institute Programme.

If anybody is interested in sponsoring me, please contact:- jackie_cayton@hotmail.com.

Regards