Curler Williams gets fresh lease of life with Australia

Dec 3 : Nearly three decades ago, Helen Williams was part of a team led by future curling great Rhona Martin which was hoping to represent Britain at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

However, she injured her ankle the year before and missed those Games - a twist of fate which would set her down a different path and send her halfway around the world.

The Scot moved to Australia for what was meant to be just one year, but she never returned, settling in Perth and building a new life Down Under.

Now, 28 years later, her Olympic dreams are once again within reach, but this time she will be decked in green and gold when she leads Australia's women's team at the final qualifier for the Milano Cortina Games.

It has been a long journey for the 52-year-old, but she harbours no regrets.

"I was very young then. I was working hard as a doctor, doing as much curling as I could in between responsibilities and then unfortunately got injured. It was obviously tricky at the time," Williams told Reuters by video call. 

"Looking back now, injuries are just a part of playing sport. If I hadn't had that injury I would never have moved to Australia. I was introduced to the curling community here, I was fortunate enough to get good jobs here. 

"So, you know, you just go where the journey takes you and I'm really very fortunate to have had the opportunity to represent Australia internationally."

WORKING, TEACHING, CURLING

Williams, who took a 12-year break from the sport while having her children before returning in 2016, works as a paediatrician at Perth Children's Hospital and also teaches medicine at the University of Western Australia.

Asked how she balances the demands of being an Olympic-level athlete with her two day jobs, she replied: