NEW HIGHLAND GAMES SERIES ON BBC ALBA
BBC ALBA is delighted to announce, that throughout December, it will be broadcasting a brand new three part series, Trom is Tapaidh: Strong and Heavy bringing you exclusive coverage of the three main competitions of the Grampian Highland Games circuit.
Presenter Donald MacSween from Ness on the Isle of Lewis joins Scottish & International ‘Heavies’ competing for the prestigious 2009 Grampian Games Glenfiddich Championship. The ‘Heavies’ are undoubtedly the stars of the Highland Games, the breed of giant men who draw the attention of the followers of the Games wherever they go.
Presenter Donald MacSween (right) with games commentator Robbie Shepherd (left) at Ballater
Trom is Tapaidh gets in amongst the action with the Heavies at three of the circuit’s most popular games, kicking off with the 136th Ballater Highland Games, marching on at Lonach Games in upper Deeside and into battle at the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering where the 2009 Heavies Champion will be crowned.
Donald joins men in kilts from as far afield as Australia, USA, and Poland with the best of Scotland’s home grown talent and rising to the challenge of competing himself.
Although Donald has some experience in the Shot Put (Senior Men’s Champion at the Western Isles Track and Field Championships in 2006 & 2007 and twice winner of the Shot event at the Western Isles Community Games, representing Ness), he was always going to be stepping up a league when he entered the Heavies Arena at the Games.
Presenter Donald MacSween at Ballater learning how to take a Shot Put
Donald was expertly mentored and trained in Lewis by local Heavy champion, Ranald Fraser. Ranald trained Donald in throwing the Hammer, Putting the Stone and Tossing the Caber. Training sessions took place on the machair at Dalbeg and Donald continued his training on the croft at Ness.
Ranald (26) who lives in Tolsta Chaoilais on the west side of the Isle of Lewis has been training and competing in the Heavy events since he was 17. While living on the mainland, Ranald competed on the Grampian circuit for four years in the under 25s and last year won the U-25 caber at Braemar. Closer to home he won both the North & South Uist games this year and last, and this year won at the Barvas, Lewis and Carloway Games.
Ranald was quietly impressed with his pupil, though clearly it takes dedication to be a real Heavy. Ranald said: “Taking into account the task ahead and for time he had to train, he did quite well. It’s not an easy thing - it takes a lot of preparation. If you want to reach a good standard you have to train all year, in the Spring, Summer and Winter. And you must be motivated.”
Though competitive, Donald certainly knows his place: “They make it look easy, that’s the main thing. I’m coming into it as your punter off the street/croft and I wasn’t anywhere near the standards these guys reach. I’m not a small guy and I did quite well at the Barvas show but the guys on the Grampian Circuit were in a different league altogether – and hopefully viewers will understand and appreciate that.”
Donald and Ranald were filmed taking part in the Heavy Events at the West Side Agricultural Fair at Barvas. Donald’s training was then put to the test at Ballater where he putts the Light and Heavy stone, at Lonach where we see him ‘throwing’ the hammer and at Braemar where he is entered for tossing the Caber, the least favourite of Donald’s events. Donald said: “The caber was the hardest but you’ll have to watch the programme and understand what I mean.”
Will Donald have the stamina to master the Heavies’ techniques and emerge victorious in the arena of giants, where he will be competing against leading champions from home and abroad including Sebastian Wenta from Poland (2nd World’s Strongest Man 2007) and Aaron Neighbour from Australia (World Highland Games Champion 2009)? Find out when Donald gets put to the test in a different event each week.
Trom is Tapaidh is prodcued for BBC ALBA by mneTV and will be broadcast on BBC ALBA on Tuesday evenings, 1st, 8th and 15th Dec at 9pm.