Describe a sport you would like to try

The sport I would like to try is curling. Maybe it sounds strange for someone from Fortaleza, in the north-east of Brazil, because here it is always hot and I never saw ice outside of a freezer. Curling is a winter sport where the players slide a heavy stone on the ice, and two players are sweeping in front of it with brooms to control where it goes.

I became interested in it four years ago, when I watched the Winter Olympics with my grandfather. At first we were laughing because the sweeping looks funny, but after one hour we were making big noise at the TV. I like that it's not only about strength, it's more about strategy. People call it chess on ice.

To start, I would need to find a place to practise, and there are not any curling rink in my region, so probably I have to travel to another country, like Canada. I would also need special shoes, one with a slider and one with grip, and a broom. And of course a good coach who can explain me the rules.

I think I would find it much more difficult than it looks on TV. I'm sure I will fall many times at first, because I have no experience on ice. But I think it would be really fun, and a good story for my friends.

The sport I'd really love to try is curling, which probably sounds like a strange choice for someone from Fortaleza, where it's over thirty degrees all year round and I've never seen ice that didn't come out of a freezer. Basically, players slide a heavy granite stone along a sheet of ice towards a target, while two teammates sweep frantically in front of it to adjust its speed and direction.

It all started four years ago, when I watched the Winter Olympics with my grandfather. To begin with, we found the sweeping hilarious, but within an hour we were yelling at the screen as if it were a World Cup final. What appeals to me is that it's far more tactical than it looks. People call it chess on ice, and I can see why: every shot changes the whole situation.

Getting started wouldn't be easy. As far as I know, there isn't a single proper curling rink anywhere near me, so realistically I'd have to try it abroad, probably in Canada or Scotland, where clubs run sessions for complete beginners. I'd need a pair of special shoes, with a slippery sole on one foot and a grippy one on other, as well as a broom, although I imagine a club would lend me those at first.

I suspect I'd find it humbling. I'd probably spend the first hour falling over, and my legs would be aching from the crouching position. But I think once I'd got my balance I'd love the strategic side, and it would definitely be a story to tell back home.

If I could take up any sport, I think I'd choose curling, which I realise is a slightly absurd ambition for someone from Fortaleza. It's tropical here; the closest I've come to a sheet of ice is the frozen section of the supermarket. For anyone unfamiliar with it, curling involves sliding a polished granite stone, roughly twenty kilos, down a long strip of ice towards a target, while two teammates sweep furiously ahead of it to coax it further or bend its path.

My interest goes back to the Winter Olympics four years ago, which I watched with my grandfather mostly as a joke. We started off giggling at the sweeping, but by the end of the first match we were completely absorbed, arguing over every shot. What draws me is the strategy. It's often called chess on ice, and that's no exaggeration: each throw is planned several moves ahead, and a single misjudged shot can undo an entire end.

Getting started would take some commitment. There's nowhere to play anywhere near me, so I'd have to fit it into a trip abroad, ideally to Canada or Scotland, where clubs run taster sessions for absolute beginners. I'd need shoes with a slick sole on one foot and a grip on the other, a broom, and above all someone patient enough to teach me how to stay upright.

I imagine the first session would be fairly undignified; I'd spend half of it flat on my back. But I suspect that once I'd found my balance, the tactical side would win me over completely. And if nothing else, I'd come home with the best story in the family.