The pride of Forth Valley as FVRH staff nurse wins gold

Scotland completed a historic double at the European Curling Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, on Saturday as they defeated well-versed Swedish opponents in the men’s and women’s finals respectively.
Team Muirhead with the winning trophy (Vicky Wright second from left) Pic: WCF / Celine StuckiTeam Muirhead with the winning trophy (Vicky Wright second from left) Pic: WCF / Celine Stucki
Team Muirhead with the winning trophy (Vicky Wright second from left) Pic: WCF / Celine Stucki

NHS Forth Valley staff nurse Vicky Wright played a crucial role in the famous victory in the women’s final, as Team Muirhead beat the reigning Olympic champions to win the final 7-4 with a display which had the Swedish title holders humbled.

It was a first gold medal for Wright, who was delighted to have played a part.

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She said: “The final was always going to be a hard match to win and we knew that going into it but we had belief we could do it.

"The whole experience was something I will never forget. It is only the third time we have properly competed as a five-person team this cycle and for all of us to pull together and have such a phenomenal week was brilliant and shows the strength in character we all have.”

Wright has enjoyed travelling to tournaments and uses the sport as a way to escape the burden of her job. Unlike most, she doesn’t feel any pressure playing in the big matches. Instead, it is more of a release from dealing with life and death situations she faces in her day-to-day life.

"On a personal level, it was amazing to win a gold medal, especially considering the year we have had with Covid-19. Juggling work has been difficult and I am so lucky to be allowed to compete at the highest level while having a rewarding job. It’s been a hard year and I actually see the trips as a way to get away from it all,” she revealed.

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Team Muirhead now travels to the Netherlands next month to compete in a qualifier in hope of securing one of only three spaces left at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Wright believes they can qualify, despite difficult opponents, with the Japanese and Korean teams all looking to secure a spot.

"The confidence is high and we believe we can qualify. The way we played at the weekend was beyond even our expectations and we just need to trust in the ability we have as a group.”

Team Mouat won the men’s final 8-5 later that day to seal a memorable day in the history of Scottish curling, as the men and women both won golds at the Euros for the first time.

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