Forfar's Vicky Wright savoring her games chance

Vicky Wright revelled in securing a magical Winter Olympics debut.
Forfar curler Vicky Wright. Pic by WCF / Steve SeixeiroForfar curler Vicky Wright. Pic by WCF / Steve Seixeiro
Forfar curler Vicky Wright. Pic by WCF / Steve Seixeiro

Forfar curler Wright, 28, was officially selected in Team GB’s five-strong women’s curling team for Beijing in February after helping Eve Muirhead’s Scottish rink qualify in the Netherlands recently.

Wright, Muirhead, Jennifer Dodds and Hailey Duff, also of Forfar, all selected for the games alongside alternate Mili Smith, racked up five consecutive wins to bounce back from a slow start and follow up November’s European hegemony in Lillehammer.

Wright juggles her curling career alongside working as a staff nurse at Forth Valley Hospital.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she put her sporting career on hold to join the front-line.

“I’m very excited and it’s such a magical day to finally be announced,” said Wright.

"After everything we’ve been through, to get here and get the job done is brilliant.

“With work in the NHS and Covid-19, it’s very much a case of me getting the best of both worlds.

“I get to play Olympic sport and I get to work as well – it’s a dream to do both.”

Wright is aware of the amplified spotlight that will be on curling when she and the team descend on the Chinese capital in February.

Rhona Martin’s storied ‘Stone of Destiny’ in Salt Lake City in 2002 propelled Great Britain to their first Winter Olympic gold medal since Sarajevo 1984 and, since then, the sport has held a national status.

Wright insists she’s relishing that attention and the Angus ace, one of over 1000 athletes who are able to train full-time, access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support thanks to vital National Lottery funding, added: “You’ve just got to embrace it and enjoy it.

“The Winter Olympics are a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you’ve got to try and take every moment as it comes and really cherish it.

“Once you step on ice, your nerves seem to go a bit more as you’re in control. It’s almost worse watching.”

Muirhead’s resurgent rink capped a European Championship to savour as a 7-4 victory over Olympic champions Sweden hauled them to glory in Norway.

A nervy Olympic qualifying event in Holland then followed but after losing their first two matches, the Scots re-found their Lillehammer form to construct that unbeaten run and secure their seat on the plane.

Turkey’s triumph over Japan ensured Muirhead’s team would join Bruce Mouat’s men in Beijing.

“We’re in really good form just now and we don’t want to disrupt it,” Wright added.

“I just need to keep doing what I’m doing.

"We’re training really well and need to keep going on ice and keep our head down.

“We’ve all worked really hard to get here – it’s been a challenging season, but we’re in a good stead now.”

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