The 20-year old, who is in the third year of her course in human resource management and sociology is one of Scotland's finest curlers, and has twice been part of the Scotland team that has won the women's title at the World Junior Championships.

She has also been selected to represent Great Britain at the World University Winter Games in Harbin, China, in February.  In The Winning Zone caught up with Sarah for a quick Q&A.

1. How did you get into curling, and what inspired you to want to compete at the top level?

I started curling when I was 10.  Both sides of my family play the game, just at a local club level and so myself and my brother grew up with our parents taking us to various ice rinks around the north of Scotland. 

It wasn’t until we started going along to the local schools curling sessions that I made friends and started to enjoy it.  From there we made up a junior girls team from Inverness and started to play competitively all over Scotland.
 
2. What are the key skills that a good curler needs to have?

You need to be very patient in this game, it’s a very tactical game and requires a lot of thinking.  It is also a huge team sport, if you find four people that work well together, that’s half the battle.  A team that doesn’t get on won’t win any games, it’s as easy that.  You also have to be pretty strong so you can carry off the stronger, faster shots that are required in a game.

3. Based on what you have experienced and achieved in sport, what would be the top traits that you would say any successful person needs to have?

Commitment is a huge factor if you want to achieve anything in any sport.  If you don’t have the commitment or the drive to do what it takes to win then there’s no point in trying.

4. What have been the defining moments of your sporting career so far?

The biggest moment in my career so far is winning the World Junior Championships in 2007 in Eveleth, Minnesota.  It was the first time that a Scottish girl’s team had brought home a medal in 10 years, never mind a gold one. 

Then again in 2008 we won the World Juniors again in Ostersund, Sweden this time.  Nobody expected us to do it twice in a row.  Both titles were as brilliant as each other to gain, both championships had its ups and downs, but we came through them as a team and we won when it mattered.
 
5. And what are your long term ambitions?

This year (season 2008/2009) my team and I are looking to defend our Scottish Junior title in February to allow us to represent Scotland at the World Championships again in Vancouver in March and bring home a gold for the third time.

After this season I will move into the Ladies section as I will be too old for juniors.  I’ll join a ladies team and I will hopefully still have the support of the Scottish Institute of Sport while working towards the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia.
 
6. How much time and effort do you need to dedicate to your sport? 

The training programme we are set by the Scottish Institute of Sport requires quite a lot of time – we train at the Palace of Arts in Ibrox twice a week, doing strength and conditioning.  During the season we should complete two or three cardiovascular sessions a week, one on-ice training session a week at least and we will usually compete every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from September until March/April.

During the season we will also have at least two abroad competitions excluding any international championships which involves quite a lot of travelling and some time off uni, especially if we are taking a trip to Canada.

7. How do you juggle this alongside your university commitments?

The support I get from the university is brilliant – they have awarded me a bursary every year since I have been here to help me financially.  They are also very good at helping me catch up on classes and stretching deadlines that I may miss due to competition.  There is no way I would have achieved anything I have done so far if it wasn’t for the help I get from the University, Anne-Marie is brilliant there...she’s the one that deserves a medal!

My commitments to my sport this year are pretty big as I will be going to the World University Winter Games in Harbin, China in February and hopefully the World Championships again straight after.   Therefore I have gone part-time this year so I have a better chance of passing my third year as it is possible I could miss six or seven weeks of uni in the second semester.
 
 
8. Do you think it is important for any up and coming sportsperson to consider and devote time to their education?

For me it is important that I get some kind of education to back me up behind my sport as I can’t really make any money from curling, so I will always need to have a job to support myself through my sport.  I think it’s a good experience being at uni, so I would encourage everybody to give it consideration or to give it a go, but it’s definitely not the be-all-and-end-all.
 
9. In a sport like curling, how important is mental strength in comparison to physical skill?

In curling, it is massively important to have mental strength as it is such a tactical game, but I think the physical strength required in this sport is often underestimated.  It’s also a hugely skilful game, a ‘touch’ sport, and it is important for us as players to adapt to all ice surfaces and conditions that we play on. 

In terms of mental and physical skill, they are just as important as each other in this sport – but you can have all the mental skill in the world to pick the right shot, but if you can’t play the shot you chose, you won’t win the game.
 
10. And how big a role does teamwork have to play, considering the obvious individual ability that is required?  Can a successful team be made from a bunch of talented individuals?

Curling is the ultimate team sport, individuals don’t play curling.  If one of us is playing badly, the other three will step up and help them along, we’ll make sure we get our stones where they need to be so that the pressure is taken off them.  That’s what a team is about, we win together and we lose together.  It doesn’t matter how good each of us are individually, we play together as a team.

There is a quote from Babe Ruth that our coach has said a few times before - “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success.  You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”  It explains everything.

Thanks Sarah!

RO
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