EVE MUIRHEAD: An award, a curling win & a day at the darts

I must admit, I thought the days of me picking up awards might be over!

So it was lovely to be invited to the Sports Journalists Association British Sports Awards a few days ago.

And it was a real honour to be chosen for The National Lottery Spirit of Sport Award at the ceremony.

Lottery funding has played such an important part in me being able to keep going as long as I did as a full-time athlete, which I’ve always been extremely grateful for.

And to be selected for an award that recognises fair play and inspiring others by being a role model is a real honour.

STORY | Eve Muirhead wins Britain’s National Lottery Spirit of Sport Award

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/TaQOoXDm9U #curling #curling

📷 Getty Images / Paul Harding pic.twitter.com/T7KmbUaxa6

— World Curling (@worldcurling) December 13, 2023

Whether it’s been local, national or global, I’ve never taken these awards for granted.

And, having been away from competitive sport for well over a year now, that hasn’t changed.

The calibre of athletes in the room at The Oval cricket ground in London showed how prestigious this one is.

And so does the list of names of previous recipients.

Among them are Sally Gunnell, Paula Radcliffe, Dame Kelly Holmes, Lizzy Yarnold and Dame Katherine Grainger – all icons of British sport and people who have inspired me in one way or another.

Hopefully in years to come there will be athletes who will say that I did a small bit to inspire them.

Finishing third in last year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards was amazing.

I’m unable to get to Manchester this year so I’ll be like a lot of people – waiting until the programme on the night to decide where my vote is going to go.

This time last year, I remember the BBC spending a couple of days up here getting enough material for the video piece that gets shown so I can vouch for the fact that there’s a lot of work goes into it!

THE 2023 BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS ARE HERE! 🎉🏆

🌟 Stuart Broad
🌟 Frankie Dettori
🌟 Mary Earps
🌟 Alfie Hewett
🌟 Katarina Johnson-Thompson
🌟 Rory McIlroy

Watch the awards live on @BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 from 19:00 GMT.… pic.twitter.com/uattDEokbK

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 12, 2023

Every year there’s some sort of controversy about who hasn’t made the shortlist but it looks like a strong six to me.

Good luck to all of them!

Straight after the lunch at the Oval I was on a flight to Aberdeen to watch the team I’m helping to coach compete in Aberdeen.

The big-name rinks might not have been there but the girls did a great job winning the tournament.

Since I’ve been involved they’ve been very receptive and eager to learn, which is exactly what you want when you’re trying to pass on advice.

The biggest thing we’ve been working on is how they approach different games, exposing any weaknesses in their opposition and making their own strengths count.

The Perth Masters are in January and the Scottish Championships in February.

This Aberdeen Classic win should be a good building block and confidence-booster going into the New Year.

I seem to have been spending half my life in London over the last couple of months and I’m back there on Sunday for a day at the darts!

Ten of us are going to the Ally Pally.

That will definitely be a big box ticked.

Whether you think darts is a sport or not, going to the World Championships was on the bucket list!