For Scottish curler Fay Henderson, being named as part of Team GB’s curling team for Milano Cortina 2026 represents the realisation of a life-long ambition.
The 25-year-old travels to northern Italy for the Games as the alternate for the women’s team that features Rebecca Morrison, Sophie Jackson, Sophie Sinclair and Jennifer Dodds.
Henderson won back-to-back Scottish Curling Championship titles in 2024 and 2025 and also won gold at the 2023 World Junior Curling Championships.
Ready to step in if required, the Forfar-native is thrilled at the prospect of making her Olympic bow for the defending champions.
She said: It’s really exciting. It’s the pinnacle of curling. That’s what everyone works up to and it’s great to be able to get this opportunity.”
Henderson joins a squad rich in pedigree and expectation with Dodds an Olympic gold medallist from 2022 while Morrison, twice a Scottish champion herself, is the skip she beat in both of her two national title wins.
It is something Henderson is acutely aware of. She added: “Obviously, when we’re not playing as Team GB, [some of the girls] are our biggest rivals in Scotland. It’s definitely something, but the girls are more than welcoming and I’m really grateful to join them.”
However, having competed alongside members of the team at previous championships, Henderson feels that will hold her in good stead in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
“I’ve joined them at the Europeans and the Worlds before as well, which was a great experience,” she continued. “So that should help for joining them for this event.”
Following in the footsteps of established Olympic champions such as her former coach Eve Muirhead, who is also Team GB's Chef de Mission for the Games, inevitably brings comparisons, but Henderson insists the pressure is largely internal.
“Curling has a great legacy and there’s always an expectation to win in curling especially when it comes to the Olympics,” she said.
“The guys got the silver last time and the girls got the gold which was amazing and to be able to repeat that would be fabulous.
“I think it is almost an expectation that we put on ourselves, but there’s probably not an external pressure [on me or the team].”
QUALIFIED 🎆
— Team GB (@TeamGB) March 23, 2025
Scotland have secured a women's curling quota spot for Team GB at @milanocortina26 ✅@BritishCurling | @scottishcurling pic.twitter.com/8pNvaCzbM3
Henderson also revealed a personal superstition that has followed her from childhood into elite competition.
“I wear the same socks for the duration of competitions,” she said. “It just keeps the feel under my feet the same for draw weight and things like that, making sure nothing changes to be as accurate as possible.”
“I always had a pair of pink fluffy socks that I would always wear as a kid when I was curling over the top of my other socks. And yes, they are still pink now.”
Looking ahead to the Games, Henderson is clear about what success would look like.
“Just getting to the Olympics is a big achievement, but to be able to come home with a medal would be even better,” she added.
“Being at my first Olympic Games and to be able to support the girls to achieve that would just be absolutely amazing.”
The journey itself carries deep significance for Henderson as she prepares for the biggest winter sporting event on the planet four years earlier than she anticipated.
“Since I started curling definitely winning the gold would be the biggest thing,” she said.
“I knew I would be on the younger end of the curling [team] for 2026, but it was always still a goal I wanted to achieve. 2030 was always on the cards as a set date in my mind, but being able to squeeze into the 2026 [team] is something I’ve worked hard at over the last couple of years, and it is just amazing that I’ve done it.”
Sportsbeat 2026