Winning streak continues for curling Council officer

Date: 
Friday, 11 January, 2019


Ross Paterson and Cllr HendryAn officer with East Dunbartonshire Council, has had a more eventful Christmas break than most, having led his curling team to their first Grand Slam victory in Canada.

Ross Paterson led the four man team to secure victory at the sporting event which features the world’s top curling teams and was broadcast live on CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster.

Team Paterson went head-to-head with fellow Scots team led by Bruce Mouat at the event in December and won 4-3 to claim the tournament. The result means that team has progressed up the world rankings from 15th to 8th.

Ross, 34, an officer with the Council’s Trading Standards team, said, “It has been an amazing experience. It’s the first time I have led a team and I enjoyed that extra responsibility. We only started competing together as a team in August and we were ranked 15th  in the world, so to win a Grand Slam this early on is pretty good.”

Last year Ross returned to his council job following an 18-month sabbatical which he took to train full-time. In April 2018 he was part of the five man team which won bronze at the World Championships after beating South Korea. It marked Scotland’s first win at this level in curling since 2013.

“East Dunbartonshire Council has been fantastic in supporting me and allowing me to pursue my dream through flexible working. I’ve been very lucky. Not every employer would be so accommodating. I have a great manager and colleagues who have supported me every step of the way.”

Ross added, “It’s the first time in history that the final has been between two Scottish teams which shows the strength of Scottish curling right now. To win against them was a great wee extra for us because we know what a good team they are.”

Cllr Billy Hendry, Convener of Place, Neighbourhood and Corporate Assets said, “Many congratulations to Ross Paterson on his fantastic sporting achievement. It is always heartening to see someone from our staff achieve international success and we are delighted at Ross’s victory.

“To triumph at this level in front of a global TV audience is testament to his skill and professionalism. All his hard work and training has clearly paid off and we look forward to seeing what this year holds for Ross and his team.”

Ross is now looking forward to competing in the first World Cup of Curling in Sweden at the end of January and the National Championships in February.

 

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