There are few people in the curling rink who could not be envious of the accomplishments of Eve Muirhead.
And it takes just a cursory glance in the skip’s trophy cabinet to understand exactly why.
An Olympic bronze medal in Sochi two years ago proved to be just the latest in the collection for Muirhead, a World and European champion, who also scooped four successive World Junior titles before breaking onto the senior scene.
At 26, it’s a tally that is only set to go up, though the Scot – forever aiming for the upper echelons of the sport – feels her medal collection would benefit from a touch more gold.
With the European Championships the next test of her mettle from November 19, Muirhead is looking to add to a haul which has seen her take six medals in the competition, four of them silver.
While the competition is a huge part of the calendar in its own right, the Perth-born curler admits it’s the latest in a series of stepping stones to get to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in two years’ time.
It’s a success that, should all go to plan in South Korea, would be the pinnacle for Muirhead, desperate to build on a double Olympic berth that has seen her come away with one bronze to her name so far.
And with experience now firmly behind her, including what she admitted was a learning curve at the Vancouver Olympic Games back in 2010, the skip knows now is the time to give her all to the top stage.
“The Olympic Games, World Championships and European competitions are now quite second-nature for me,” she said.
“There’s a lot of confidence that comes from that, you’ve been there and done it before and you feel more and more comfortable with every competition you take part in.
“It’s the desire for those medals that undoubtedly keep you going. You wake up every morning, look at that end goal and do everything you can that day to get closer to your target.
“You’re there, scraping the frost of your car in the freezing cold but you know exactly why you’re doing it – the day I go to training and wish I was at home will be the day I’ll have to finish.
“But that’s because I’m an ambitious person, I want those medals, I want to do more and more and try and be the best curler I possibly can.
But for Muirhead and her rink, the upcoming European Championships holds an extra edge than most for the Scotland team.
Hosted at Braehead Arena in Glasgow, a home tournament provides plenty of opportunity for a second gold for Muirhead, though she admits it also comes with its own pressures.
But rather than be perturbed by expectation, Muirhead, whose brothers also play the sport, is confident it can land in her favour, hoping to land a morale-boosting title with Pyeongchang firmly on the horizon.
“It’s really exciting to be able to jump in the car and, within 40 minutes, be at the European venue,” she added.
“The chance to represent your own country in front of your home support is something that doesn’t happen very often. It’s a moment we’ll cherish, we have to make the most of it and it’s hugely exciting for Scotland.
“That in itself does put a bit more pressure on – you’d be lying to yourself and other people if you didn’t. There’s going to be a lot of home support but it’s a good form of pressure, and as a team we’re always known to thrive on that sort of expectation.
“Each tournament has its own, individual focus, but in the back of your mind is always that big prize come the end of it and the work you have to put in to get there.”
Sportsbeat 2016