My first and last....with Lynn McCafferty

LYNN McCafferty is the captain of the Great Britain handball team, who have enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2009.

CAPTAIN'S ROLE: Lynn McCafferty, pictured far right, is confident of Great Britain handball chances in 2012

They booked their first ever appearance in the qualifying stages of the European Championship with a battling win over Finland - but went down to subsequent defeats to the more experienced Austrian and French sides.

And despite starting the year with a funding cut, McCafferty insists its full steam ahead for London 2012.
 
Here she is in conversation with Sportbeat's Ben Baker. 
 
My first handball experience: I started playing when I was ten at my local sports centre where there was a club. My friend's sister played and a small crowd of us went along and started to play. There are two of us, who started at the same time, who are still playing.
 
My first realisation that I could have a future in handball: I got selected for the development squad to go to Denmark and train toward 2012 in June 2006. Until then I was playing for fun in my local club with no concept or plans of playing handball full time. When I was 16 I had an opportunity to go to Holland and play handball but I didn't really ever think about a career in handball.

My first handball award: I won Player of the Tournament at an annual tournament in Isle of Man when I was eleven.

My first game representing Great Britain: I represented Great Britain when I was 16. This was at junior level and it was against Russia.  My first senior Great Britain match was against Luxembourg in December 2007.

My first big injury: I fractured my elbow in September 2006 two months after moving to Denmark.

My first job: I worked on an ice cream van for a while.  

My first album: New Kids on the Block (LP)

My first holiday: We spent every summer as a family going to Croyshore in Ayr but my first holiday abroad was two weeks in Ibiza.

My first boyfriend: My first relationship was when I was 17.  Boyfriends through school don't count ...... do they????

My last album: I bought Wet Wet Wet after a debate with friends about the top ten wedding songs. We came across Wet Wet Wet's song and when I was checking it, I realised I remembered a lot of the songs so bought the album.

My last holiday: I had a week in Tenerife with family and friends in November 2006 for a Hen Week before I got married in January.

My last film: The Hangover

My last cry: On Sunday after the camp in London (18th Oct), at the airport saying goodbye to my husband.  I am terribly emotional and will cry at anything!

My last laugh: During the camp with the Great Britain girls, they are always up to something.