Frank was first introduced to the sport of curling at age 12 on a frozen pond in Falkland in Fife. When he was 35 years of age he had an accident at work which left him paralysed and dependant on a wheelchair for everyday mobility.
When wheelchair curling was introduced to Scotland, Frank embraced it with great enthusiasm. Prior to his accident he was a very skilful curler and had hopes of representative honours. Following his accident it was obvious he had retained great knowledge of the tactics of the game. During his life he was totally committed to his sport and travelled extensively as both a competitor and a tutor.
In January 2005 Frank was awarded the International Paralympic Committee award for “Athlete of the Month”. This is one of the most prestigious honours in international sport and the winner is judged against fellow athletes from all sports across the international community. This was not only a great honour for Frank and those closest to him, but also Scottish curling.
Frank excelled as the skip of Scottish and British teams that in a short period of time achieved so much at International level. His first World Championship involvement in 2002 resulted in a bronze medal in Switzerland for the Scottish team. In 2003, on home soil, he won silver at the International Bonspiel. A return to Switzerland in 2004 brought Scotland’s first World Championship title. This was followed up by a magnificent retention of the title on home soil at the 2005 Championships at Braehead. His greatest achievement was as skip to the GB team that won silver at the Winter Paralympics in Torino.
Prior to leading the Scottish team to major honours Frank received the “Sportsmanship Award” at the World Championships of 2002 and the Bonspiel of 2003. Frank was highly respected by his fellow players, coaches and volunteers alike. Frank was a wonderful ambassador for the sport and led teams well and contributed so much to the development of the sport both nationally and internationally. Frank retired from competitive curling in 2006 and became actively involved in the development of the sport thereafter until his untimely death in 2010.