Eve Muirhead admits it will feel like a new beginning when she steps out on the ice once again for the European Curling Championships after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The 28-year-old Olympic bronze medallist suffered debilitating pain and arthritis and feared she would never slide again after having surgery on her hip earlier this year.
But the Great Britain curling skip will make her major championship return for Scotland in Tallinn, Estonia, where she will attempt to win a ninth consecutive European medal.
And while she is cautious about how the new-look Team Muirhead will fare, the former world champion still remains as driven as ever to get back on top of the podium.
“Just being part of the event is a bonus because there were chunks of the summer when I didn’t think that would happen,” Muirhead told The Courier.
“When you’ve had a serious injury it does feel like you hit the reset button and start your career for a second time.
“I’m not putting big expectations on the team for the Europeans but the next medal I win, whenever that comes, will definitely feel like one of the best.
“As well as the injury aspect of things, I’ve stripped it right back and made some major technique changes. That adds to the feeling of a new beginning.
“Even winning my first game after my comeback was quite emotional so goodness knows what I’ll be like when I get back on a podium.
“We know that we’ve got off to a slow start this season, but we’ve only played about 15 games together as a team. We can’t put too much pressure on ourselves.
“I want to keep the run of eight medals in a row at Europeans going but I know how lucky I am to even be stepping on the ice.”
Muirhead will be joined at Tallinn’s Tondiraba Ice Hall by Lauren Gray and Vicki Chalmers, who she won European gold with in 2017, as well as new additions Jennifer Dodds and Vicky Wright.
The event gets underway on Saturday and with six qualifying spots up for grabs for the World Curling Championships next year, Muirhead said booking a place in Silkeborg is the team’s first priority.
“The main thing will be qualifying Scotland for the World Championships and everything over and above that will be a bonus,” said Muirhead.
“When a team has been together for a while you can expect a level of consistency but in the early days of a new team there will still be really good games, but also a drop off that would be lower than usual.
“It’s all a bit less predictable. We’re all very talented curlers so we do have a shot at getting on the podium. Any medal would be big for us.
“This is the fifth combination of players since Team Muirhead started. The year we won the Worlds and got Olympic bronze I think we were the best team in the world.
“I definitely want to get back to that point and even better.” Sportsbeat 2018