With the Curling Club opening its first location outside of London in Manchester later this year, Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead talks about her role promoting the sport.
Eve Muirhead OBE is one of the most famous names in curling having competed in four Winter Olympics. She made her Olympic debut aged 19 at Vancouver in 2010 and went on to become the youngest ever skip (team captain) to win a Winter Olympic medal, leading her team to bronze in Sochi. She was also the skip at 2018 games in PyeongChang before crowning her career with a gold medal at Beijing in 2022.
Having retired from curling, Eve now acts as an ambassador for the sport, working through her own academy and the Curling Club to raise the sport’s profile and encourage more people to take it up. Eve first became interested in curling as a young child through watching her father, who also competed at the Winter Olympics.
She says: “My father was a curler on the world stage and as a young kid I always used to go along and watch him many times. You just want to have a go when you’re watching someone and that’s when I first got involved in the sport.
“I was probably about nine or ten when I first gave it a shot. It’s a sport that you can do at a lot of different ages, but I think starting younger and getting a feel for it and what’s it’s like is the best plan. What was great was that my parents were never pushy at all. It was always my choice to go and play. When I was younger it was a case of them being taxi drivers until I passed my test!”
A Sport for All
Unlike some other sports which until recent years have been seen as male preserves, curling has been played by men and women at the highest levels.
“We’re very lucky within curling in that it is quite an equal sport,” Eve explains. “We’ve had a lot of male successes in the past and then obviously a lot of female success as well. If you look at the likes of Rhona Martin getting the gold medal in Salt Lake and then both of us getting the medal in Beijing. On the world stage I’d say it’s pretty 50/50, which is really good.”
And although curling is an elite sport, it is open to all, and Eve is keen that more people have the opportunity to play.
She says: “People from all backgrounds can get into curling, but there’s still this ongoing battle to promote the sport and get more people involved in it. It gets a lot of coverage and a lot of participation every four years when the Olympic Games are on because it’s on prime-time TV for two and a half weeks non-stop. It’s a sport everyone can take part in, but facilities are an issue because the majority of them are in Scotland. That’s where the Curling Club comes in and that’s why it’s such an exciting concept to get people involved in an aspect of curling which can take place anytime, anywhere without the need for a 24-hour big fridge going on for the ice rink.”
Eve has been involved with the Curling Club for many years after they first approached her following her Olympic win.
“I didn’t have any second thoughts because I always want to promote the sport and this is a great way to get people involved in the sport, to know about the sport and have that party vibe as well to make it fun. I’ve really enjoyed working with them,” she says.
“Traditional curling is played on ice and not played anywhere else. The Curling Club is more about the fun aspect of the game which can be played on a Teflon sheet with stones that can run on that. So, it’s the same concept but it’s just not on ice.”
International Growth
While Scotland has long been the home of curling, countries across the world that did not traditionally play the sport are now competing at Olympic level. Eve welcomes the global growth in curling and the new competition that it has brought.
“Now that curling has become an Olympic sport, a lot of the Asian countries are dominating now, especially the female game,” she explains. “China, for example, weren’t even competing on the world stage and then within a couple of years they were world champions, Olympic medallists and it’s the same with Korea. They have the funding to get the best coaches and they’ve got facilities within their country. It’s great to see these countries coming into the curling world.”
Eve is hopeful that curling will become a more mainstream sport and is doing her bit to raise its profile through the Curling Club and her own academy.
She says: “I always thought about what I could do to promote the sport, get more people involved and get more coverage. I’ve started my Muirhead Curling Academy to try and get more people involved in the sport. I’m trying to help the grassroots and develop the curlers that are already at a certain level and want to get better.”
The academy is also used by corporate groups for everything from Christmas parties to team building and leadership. Business people get the chance to play a fun, competitive game and hear from Eve about what curling has taught her about team leadership and performing under pressure.
A New Direction
Eve has now been retired from curling for over two years, and, like many top sportspeople, she has had to adjust to a new life after sport and build a new career.
She says: “It’s a hard transition and I’m probably still going through that. It’s very different from being in your sporting bubble where you’ve got a set routine to then venturing out in the real world. But I’ve learnt so much through my sporting career. Being the skip of the team, you’ve got to have a lot of great leadership skills. You’ve got to be able to perform under pressure on a big stage. All these key aspects helped me develop into what I do now.”
As well as running her academy, Eve is still involved with the British Olympic Association. She has been chosen as Chef de Mission for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which means will be leading and supporting the full delegation.
“It’s really exciting that we’ve got the Olympic Games coming up and being part of all sports, not just curling, is also very different for me. Although this time I’ll be sitting behind a laptop, instead of competing,” she says.
Eve is very keen to encourage the next generation of young people to take up curling, which is why she wants to get as many people to try the sport as possible both through her own academy and the Curling Club.
“It’s possible to give curling a shot if you know where to look and where to find the opportunities to give it a try, which is why I started Muirhead Curling,” she adds. “There are so many people out there who really want to try curling, but they’ve got nowhere to go. That’s why I want to expand down into England and put on ‘come and try’ events, put on corporate events for businesses, events for families. Just to get as many people involved as I can.”
Experience the Curling Club in Manchester
The Curling Club will open in Deansgate Square in November, just in time for the run-up to the Christmas season. The new venue will bring après-ski vibes to the city centre with casual curling, winter cocktails, festive food and lively entertainment in a cosy alpine themed setting. Whether you are celebrating, socialising, or team bonding it will be a fun, all-inclusive experience for everyone.
Eve says: “Working alongside the Curling Club we can do something really cool. Especially with the Olympic Games just around the corner and with Christmas coming up this is a big opportunity for people to give curling a shot.”
A variety of Curling Club packages are available, including bespoke packages tailored to your needs. Explore the packages here or email info@thecurlingclub.com for more information.
Enquire now to avoid missing out as demand is expected to be high!
Muirhead Curling
Muirhead Curling offers structured coaching and comprehensive resources, both on and off the ice. It welcomes players of all ages and experience levels, providing a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages learning, skill development, and a lifelong passion for curling.
For more information about Muirhead Curling and the services it provides, visit https://www.evemuirhead.co.uk/.