2008/09 – Ally Fraser – Ardclach – Scottish Champion
Ally Fraser started his curling career with Ardclach Curling Club at the age of 13. He quickly showed great promise, taking part in schools and junior competitions. In 2009, along with skip Graeme Black, Steve Mitchell and Thomas Sloan, Ally won the Scottish Junior Championship at Perth beating the highly talented Dick team from Edinburgh.
2009/10 – Alan Stanfield – Nairn – Chief Umpire Winter Olympics
Alan was given the Province Achievement Award in recognition for, not only his services to Moray Province having served on Committee as well as being its President from 2001-2003, but for his commitment to umpiring which started in 1997 before volunteering for his first International Championship- the World Men’s’ Curling Championship in Glasgow as a Time Clock Operator.
2010/11 – G. Ewan and M. Mackenzie – Wheel Chair Curling Club
Congratulations to Gregor Ewan and Mike Mackenzie of the Moray Wheelchair Curling Club were in the winning rink at the British Open & also achieving a silver at the Scottish Open.
This was a great achievement considering this small club was only formed in 2007, by Norman Anderson who encouraged Jim Gault, Gregor Mike and Jackie Cayton to “Come & Try” hour after hour in what looked to be extremely cold conditions however that did not hinder them.
They were hooked and from 2007 they could be seen of an afternoon with very little or no coaching.
2011/2012 – Graham Grant – Match Secretary
Graham came to Moray from the Borders in the 1980s only having curled a couple of times however during a Round Table curling outing here in Moray the sport got him “hook line and sinker.”
Graham was a member of Elgin Curling club where he is very active both on and off the ice, he joined Elgin C.C. when you did not just go for a game of curling but also depending on the weather got involved with some hairy late night journeys home from Inverness and the Aviemore Ice Rink in particular.
2012/13 – Campbell Ross – Forres – Coaching/ Development
Campbell able assisted by the coaching team deliver weekly coaching sessions for the 41 juniors on a Wednesday night sharing his and his assistants knowledge and providing junior curlers with a great learning experience.
Within the session the juniors participate in the RCCC Skill Awards programme – a series of six progressive awards, Campbell also encourages juniors to play in competitions both locally at Moray Leisure Centre, and nationally at Under 14, slam events, which is paramount in them developing their game skills.
2013/14 – G Ewan / J Gault – Wheel Chair – Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Paralympic Medallists, Sochi, Russia.
Originally Gregor was the only team member from Moray till unfortunately Tom Killin took ill and was unable to travel so Jim Gault was allocated his place.
Jim obviously was pleased with his selection but he has been in the Scottish Squad for the past four years so he was well prepared.
2014/2015 – Matthew Lackie – MLC – Ice Master
For services to curling as Senior Ice Technician at Moray Leisure Centre. Mathew joined the ice staff in September 2013 direct from the swimming pool and with no ice making experience. The object of the move being career progression.
He received no official training in ice making however it was obvious there was a lot of room for improvement for “Consistent quality curling ice”, so Mathew learned to curl himself and created liaison with other local curlers to introduce some curling ice making priorities.
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2015/2016 – Sandra McIver – Forres – Coach & Development
Sandra joined Forres Curling Club in her early teens and was one of the first pupils to learn curling with Forres Academy in doors at Inverness Leisure Centre.
Following a break she picked up curling again in the mid-1990s becoming an active member of Forres C.C. rising to the dizzy heights of President.
Coaching: – Sandra is an active member of Moray Province Curling Development Group (MPCDG) since 2008 and is currently the Lead Coach for a number of groups.
N.B to 2020.
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2016 / 2017 – Mike McInnes – Nairn – Coach & Development
He started curling when he was 17, playing in local games to begin with. Moving on to play in Province and National games.
As Chairman of the Highland curling development group in Inverness, he is very involved in the promotion and development of curling at all levels. Mike is a level 2 Scottish Curling coach and Umpire. He has been recognised by Moray Province with an Ice Diamond Award for his work in curling development.
2017/2018 – Amy MacDonald – Forres – Scottish Junior Champion
Season 2017 – 2018 was for Amy MacDonald marked out as the most important one in her curling career to date mainly because it was her last one as she would be aged out as a junior at the end of the season.
Amy had started back in 2007 with the Moray Province Curling Development Group and she took to the sport like a duck to water, each season she progressed beyond expectation and was soon away south joining up with other rinks in Junior Slams having various successes but definitely gaining experience and improving her game.
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2018/19 – J Gault & G Ewan – Wheel Chair – Scottish Champions
Our Wheelchair athletes have done extraordinarily well this season, Jim & Gregor won the National Wheelchair Pairs Championships at Kinross Ice rink in November 2019 followed by the Scottish Wheel Chair Championships then Gregor went on to skip and win the British Open.
These guys work there socks off not only for the winning but they are a great example to all on how to enjoy your nominated sport.
As old as they may look they have not run out of steam yet their plans for next season are bigger and better provided its good craic.
2019/20 – Jamie Rankin – Moray Juniors – Winter Youth Olympics
The 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games was the best curling experience I’ve ever had.
It was an honour to be selected and to have the opportunity to represent Great Britain and curling in Moray. My time out in Switzerland was a fantastic chance to make new friends and to learn more about the different aspects of the game.
I really enjoyed the curling and the Olympic experience. I was also one of 5 curlers chosen to watch the final with Olympic President Thomas Bach.