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Eve Muirhead: Who is Winter Olympics curling star? Is she married? Dealing with disease

Express Sport brings you all you need to know about the 27-year-old Great Britain women’s curling team skip

Curling is a family thing

Muirhead was 19 when she was chosen as skip for Great Britain at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

She became the youngest skip to win an Olympic medal four years later in Sochi and comes from a curling family. Her father Gordon competed for Britain at the 1992 Games in Albertville, when it was a demonstration sport, and brothers Glen and Thomas were on the men’s team here.

Muirhead is single

Muirhead, who has been dubbed the ‘Ice Maiden’, is single.

The Scot admitted recently when asked about relationships: “I’m afraid I just don’t have time. I’ve pretty much dedicated my life to curling, haven’t I?

“But that’s fine. It’s what I do and I love it.”

Muirhead’s battle with illness

Muirhead was diagnosed with coeliac disease three years ago.

It’s an auto-immune condition, after months of suffering painful bloating, upset stomachs, weight loss and extreme fatigue.

She has since cut gluten from her diet to keep it at bay.

Eve said: “When I was told I had coeliac disease, I didn’t know anything about it but all the symptoms made sense. It was a relief to find out what was wrong.

“I had been training super hard for the Olympics, so I don’t know if that played a role. One minute, I was fit and well and could eat anything and then I couldn’t.

“I was probably only ill for a few months before I was diagnosed – I know a lot of people can be ill for much longer.

“What was happening had to be affecting my performance. My results weren’t going down but I was going down myself.

“When I look back now, I see what a nightmare it really was.”

Stones and sheep

As well as curling, the Muirheads have a sheep farm at Blair Atholl, near Pitlochry in Perthshire. Brothers Thomas and Glen work on the farm, but have left lambing season to father Gordon to compete in Pyeongchang.

It’s not just curling… it’s golf too

Muirhead plays off a handicap of two and rejected several offers of a scholarship at United States universities for golf. She plays in ProAm and celebrity tournaments, while also featuring for Pitlochry Ladies. She has the course record of 68 at Pitlochry.

She is a peanut butter addict

She describes herself as an “addict” of peanut butter. Many athletes like the spread for the energy it can provide.

And she also plays the bagpipes

Not satisfied with being an accomplished curler and golfer, Muirhead also plays the bagpipes. And she has been known to play at friends’ weddings.

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