Proud Perthshire curler Mili Smith on the incredible Winter Olympics gold medal journey

As Mili Smith touched back down at Edinburgh Airport on Tuesday night it was maybe starting to sink in. Maybe.

The arrivals door shifted open ever so slowly and patiently - perhaps impatiently - waiting on the other side were the beaming faces of family and friends.

They had lined-up for the homecoming of a team that has inspired and gripped a nation by winning curling gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Flashing cameras and spotlight attention welcomed Mili, skip Eve Muirhead, Jen Dodds, Vicky Wright and Hailey Duff.

For Smith, the fanfare and attention was a far cry from the quieter upbringing at the farm in the Perthshire village of Guildtown but there was an importance in absorbing every moment of it.

“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m an Olympic gold medallist,” said Mili, a former RDM Primary School and Perth Academy student.

“I don’t know when it will. Seeing everyone greet us at the airport on Tuesday night was the beginning of it I think.”

Mili’s path to Olympic stardom was not an overnight job. It was the culmination of years and years of hard work, tracing back to the days of joining dad Dave, a former world champion, on the ice at every opportunity.

She was a Perth Junior Curling Club member and had fine sporting company in her brothers Cammy and Kyle, who are also Team GB Olympians.

At 23, Mili was the youngest member of the five-strong team and was in Beijing as the alternate. While not on the ice during competition, her impact has been highlighted on more than one occasion by fellow Perthshire star and legendary leader Muirhead.

Stone-matching, tactical work and simply bringing positive energy to the team were just some of the roles that aided success.

“It means a lot to me to hear from the team how