Wright has been aiming to compete at 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics; returns to job as surgical ward nurse at Forth Valley Hospital, Stirling
Friday 3 April 2020 12:53, UK
Scottish curler Vicky Wright has told Sky Sports News the decision to return to full-time nursing to help the fight against coronavirus was a "no brainer".
The 26-year-old had been due to compete in the World Championships in Canada a couple of weeks ago but like sporting events around the world, the competition was cancelled.
Just a couple of days later, Wright was back in her uniform and on the ward.
"Once I saw how quickly things were changing, I just thought it was a no brainer and I needed to go back to work and help the ward out in any way I can. It was quite an easy decision," she said.
"I went to university and trained to be a nurse. It's time for us to all step up and do our part. I did have reserves about what I was going to face when I went back to work and it was a bit of a worry.
"But at the end of the day, this is what I'm meant to be doing, this is what I've trained for so it was just I need to go back to work and play my part in this."
Wright decided last summer to take a break from her job as a surgical ward nurse to pursue curling full-time and qualification for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
She continued to work one shift a week at Forth Valley Hospital in Stirling when the competition and training schedule permitted and is now grateful to be back working with friends at such a busy time.
"The camaraderie is amazing in the hospital right now. I think all of us have just realised that this is bigger than one person and we're just pulling together, trying to help each other out," Wright added.
"We are seeing more and more numbers come through the door every day. It is building, you can see it's starting to step up a little bit."
The European silver medallist is part of a Scottish team led by Eve Muirhead, who guided Great Britain to a bronze medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
They had headed to the World Championships last month with high hopes of a medal and were disappointed to have not been able to prove themselves yet again.
For now, the team focus is on supporting each other and Wright in particular.
She said: "They text me every day, asking 'how was your day, do you need anything, can we FaceTime tomorrow and have a wee catch up'. It's been great, the girls have been fab throughout it all."
The rest of the curling season may be in doubt but the training plan is as intense as ever.
Wright trains every day she is not at work in her garden in Stirling, where she lives with GB curling coach and Olympic silver medallist Greg Drummond.
Wright said: "We're trying to follow the same kind of patterns that we do in the gym but find different ways to do it. It's been fun trying to figure out what can you do, what can you use - getting rucksacks and filling them with bags of sugar, stuff like that.
"We won't get anything that relates to throwing [curling stones] but I've got a wooden floor in the house so you can still sweep and practise your sweeping technique in the kitchen!"
When the spread of the virus is eventually halted and pressure on the hospital starts to ease, the two-time Scottish champion hopes to return to full-time curling a stronger athlete.
"When things like this happen, it really puts life into perspective for you," she said.
"It makes you appreciate the little things in life that you do have and the privilege of going to the gym, having it at your fingertips and being able to train in such good environments and now you can't go out and you don't have access to that.
"This is about figuring out what you can do at home and you'll probably come out stronger than ever at the end of it."
