🚀 Read this must-read post from BBC Sport 📖
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In November, she announced she was launching the Muirhead Curling Academy, six months after she was appointed Team GB’s head of mission for Milano-Cortina.
Muirhead hopes to pass on her knowledge of everything from the “really different environment” of the Athletes’ Village to the expectations of success that athletes have.
“I think what we’re good at is celebrating all different kinds of victories, too,” she says. “Being the head of the mission leading these Games, I think we need to be very careful and not put all the pressure on the medal hopefuls.
“There are a lot of athletes who go there and finishing in the top 10 is a win for them. So you have to remember that everyone is at different levels and I think I can relate that to what happened with me in Vancouver, when you have an outside chance of a medal but finishing in the top six would be very good.”
“Sometimes I wish I was still an athlete,” Muirhead admits, because she now “has almost a desk job… sitting in front of a laptop.”
However, she insists: “Honestly, I absolutely love it. Being on the other side of the fence from any athlete has been interesting for me.
“Maybe I was a little selfish as an athlete. Maybe I didn’t give everyone the respect they needed that helped give what they did to facilitate my performance or make the platform that I had on such a smooth sailing ride.
“Turn that around, that’s my job now. And I always wear the athlete’s hat that I want to create that perfect platform for these athletes to give their best at the Olympics.”
“In a way too, I’m responsible for helping make these athletes’ dreams come true – a dream that they’ve probably had since they were a little kid, and worked hard for it all the way to Milano Cortina. It’s also great to work with all winter sports and not just curling, so I’m learning a lot too – every day is still a school day for me.”
As for his beloved bagpipes, Muirhead adds: “I’m still able to pick them up every now and then and hear their melody.
“It seems like I’m just kind of a cheap gig for friends’ weddings and stuff.” At least it comes with “maybe a free meal” and a “free bar.”
You can hear Eve Muirhead, former footballer Ryan Stevenson and writer, comedian and director Kate Hammer on BBC Radio Scotland’s Saturday show with hosts Amy Irons and Stephen Mill from 09:00 GMT until 12:00 noon on Saturday.
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