Edinburgh is no stranger to winter olympians, especially those with a curling background, like recent superstars Jenn Dodds and Bruce Mouat.
But father-of-three Luke Samuels, from Edinburgh, has turned heads as he reveals his dream to join Jamaica’s curling team at the Italy 2026 Games - after taking up the sport just last year.
The 38-year-old is the first ever UK-Jamaican curler to represent the Caribbean side. As a child he always dreamed of competing on behalf of Jamaica - a country he feels a deep sense of patriotism for through his late grandad Edwin Luther Samuels.
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Luke has dual citizenship for both the UK and Jamaica and says that growing up he always dreamed of representing the latter. He had a very close bond with his grandad who was one of the very first to travel to the UK on the Windrush on June 21 1948.
He joked to his wife Morgan when watching last year’s Curling during the Beijing Olympics that he would do everything he could to represent Jamaica. At first it was seen as a joke but later that year he noticed that there was in fact a curling team that included a number of diaspora living in North America.
Luke got in touch through mutual connections and was encouraged to give the sport a go. Being someone who hits the gym regularly, and looks after himself, he took to the sport relatively well.
He spent his spare time practising with Curl Edinburgh at Murrayfield Ice Rink whilst also putting the time in to watch Youtube tutorials and study the sport. It was not long before he was competing with the 37 Club curling team.
From there he reached out again to Curling Jamaica who gladly accepted him onto the team. The Edinburgh lad is now hoping to compete at the Italy Winter Games in three years time.
“When I say to people that I am representing Jamaica they respond in disbelief. A lot of people feel it is just so random that they struggle to believe it,” the residential care officer for Edinburgh Council said.
“It is not something you hear everyday to be fair to them. I was sitting in one night enjoying watching curling and I said to my wife that one day I am going to curl for Jamaica, of course she just laughed.
“I always wanted to represent Jamaican sport but I knew I was never going to be the next Usain Bolt running the 100 metres. I started looking into curling and found they had a team.
“I was able to get in contact with them through a friend and they were really supportive of me exploring the idea. It started off with doing a beginners course, then getting a coach and spending hours on the ice last season.
“Curl Edinburgh were amazing and I played with 37 Club at Murrayfield. There is a lot more to it than first meets the eye as it is a very technical and scientific sport.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with lessons and watching Youtube as well as studying the sport. Thankfully I seemed to pick it up really well.
“Those at my club are loving the news but they have joked that I’ve done it once and somehow have an opportunity to compete at the Olympics. Some are saying that they could be our team manager like in Cool Runnings - I was even asked who I’d want to play me in any future Curling adaptation.”
Luke was invited onto the Jamaican team after impressing with his whirlwind start. He is yet to meet any of his team mates face to face but he has taken part in AGM meetings and is now hoping to meet up with everyone in Canada for some practice sessions and friendlies ahead of the Olympics.
The team, which is made up mostly of diaspora from North America and Jamaica, will have to qualify in order make the cut for Italy. Luke has immense pride in being the first UK-Jamaican curler to represent the national side.
His dual citizenship comes from his Jamaican/British father and Scottish mother. On his Jamaican nationality and the love he has for the country, he said: “Curling is a Scottish sport so it is nice to have the Scottish and Jamaican connection. It is really exciting as I never expected it to happen so quickly - when I got my kit it was amazing.
“My grandfather Edwin came from Jamaica on the first Windrush boat on June 21 1948. He was one of many who were asked to come to build up the country after WW2 and he worked on the buses after arriving in Tilbury docks in Essex. He went on to Birmingham and then later Wolverhampton.
“My mum is from Edinburgh but she came to Wolverhampton where she met my dad and they moved up to Dumfries from there. The family in both Scotland and Jamaica are really supportive and happy but no one can really believe it.
“They know how much my grandad meant to me and if he was alive today he would be loving it. I’ve been to Jamaica a few times, most recently in 2021, and my sons now also have their passports and citizenship for the country.
“It is nice to keep that going and I hope that maybe one day they could represent them too.”
Luke says that he hopes to be part of a team that brings curling to youths in Jamaica. He says that the sport could be another outlet for those looking to represent their country.
But in order to be able to achieve their goals they are in need of sponsorship and funding. Not only for their quest to compete in Italy but also to look to the future of the sport for the country.
On his advice for anyone looking to follow in his footsteps, he said: “I’d say to anyone to give curling a try. You don’t know what you are good at until you give it a go.
“It is never too late to start something new in life.”
Anyone looking to support the Jamaican national curling team can get in touch with them here.
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