It’s good to be back – Olympic athlete moved to tears on return to job as nurse

Team GB Olympic gold medallist Vicky Wright received a hero’s welcome as she returned to her job as a nurse after clinching the top prize in women’s curling.

Cheers of “what an achievement” and “we are so proud” rang throughout Ward B11 at Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert in the Falkirk Council area, where the 28-year-old has worked for the last seven years.

The ward was dressed in flowers, bunting and balloons, and even had its own makeshift curling rink, which Wright took to immediately and scored a bullseye each time.

The Scots athlete and her fellow women’s curling team players Eve Muirhead (captain), Hailey Duff, Jen Dodds and Mili Smith arrived back in Scotland just a week ago after they crushed Japan 10-3 at the Beijing Winter Olympics this year.

Speaking to the PA news agency about her return to the hospital on Tuesday, Ms Wright said: “It’s good to be back.

“It was an amazing welcome.

“Everyone was lined up in the corridor clapping me in.”

She said the moment she made eye contact with the ward’s senior staff nurse Lisa McCann, “the tears started to come”.

Wright, who lives in Stirling, reduced her hours at the hospital to focus on the Winter Olympics and played a key role as vice-skip on Muirhead’s team, which ended up securing Britain’s only gold medal at this year’s Games.

“I wouldn’t have my gold medal around my neck if it wasn’t for all my colleagues,” she said.

“They have supported me so well and this medal is as much as theirs as mine.”

Wright described the last two years working as a nurse during the pandemic while continuing her curling as “an emotional rollercoaster”.

“I don’t think anyone in the NHS has been able to summarise the effect Covid-19 has had on us,” she said.

“It definitely will be a