#7 Sam Spendla

For December's first MTC we start to reflect on an incredible year for cubing with UKCA president Sam Spendla!

What inspired you to become a Delegate?

I never truly felt like I 'belonged' to a community anywhere near as much as when I got involved in speedcubing in 2015. When given the opportunity to become a Delegate in 2018 I snapped up the chance because I wanted to give back those same opportunities presented to me, so that more people could feel the way I do about the sport.

What are your future aspirations for the UKCA/WCA?

I love the UKCA with everything I've got. I want to see it grow as much as possible! In my 5 years on the team we have already grown so much, going from one competition every month, to one or two every week. I want to make sure that the UKCA and our community has everything it needs to ensure that it continues to further speedcubing nationwide; and to find the next generation of UKCA organisers, staff and delegates to keep the growth sustainable, as well as promote speedcubing to the public in anyway we can to keep those numbers coming in.

For the WCA as a whole, having joined the Sports Organization Team earlier this year my main aspiration is getting speedcubing recognised worldwide as a sport. It is one of the most challenging things the WCA has on its agenda, but the benefits that it would bring to everyone, including the UK, are phenomenal!

Sum up the UKCA’s 2023…

Busy! We've had a record 55 competitions this year! We've also incorporated the UKCA as a CIC this year, committing ourselves to reinvesting all profits back into the community and really started to formalise our structure as an organisation, which is something that we've wanted to do for a long time.

(If you're interested in some end-of-year stats, just wait for our upcoming post!)

What would like to see for UK cubing in 2024?

I want to see us in places that we've never held competitions before, places we know are the communities favourites, and even experimenting with different competition formats!

Thanks for answering Sam, and best of luck for 2024!!! There's no way the UKCA would be what it is today without you <3<3<3