JENNIFER DODDS was still the “weird girl” at school when she stayed up late to watch Rhona Martin slide home curling’s so-called ‘Stone of Destiny’ and clinch Great Britain’s first Winter Olympic gold medal since Torvill and Dean in Salt Lake City in 2002.

It was a moment that helped Dodds realise her commitment to sporting success need not be just a pipe dream, and she would be proven correct 20 years later when she formed part of Eve Muirhead’s team who emulated Martin’s famous curling triumph in Beijing.

Dodds credits the shift away from the stigma of being a young girl involved in sports to moments like Martin’s success, and believes International Women’s Day still plays a crucial role in reinforcing the opportunities and pathways that are available.

“I was 10 years old when Rhona won her gold medal in Salt Lake City and that was a real inspiration to me,” Dodds told the PA news agency.

“I remember her competing in Scotland afterwards and she brought her medal with her, and seeing it was for me an incredible thing.

“I’d grown up watching my parents and my brother play curling, and as soon as I was old enough to get on the ice, it was like I’d been unleashed.

“At that age, in my peer group, I almost felt like the weird girl who does sport, and now that sort of thing — girls going to the gym and getting involved in sport, is not such a big deal. We’ve made a good start and that is partly down to moments like Rhona’s.”

Dodds was part of Muirhead’s team that battled through a tough qualification procedure to reach Beijing, before storming all the way to their historic gold medal. Dodds narrowly missed out on replicating that success in the mixed doubles event, in which she and Bruce Mouat, the defending world champions, lost a bronze medal play-off.

Following Muirhead’s retirement, Dodds joined a team captained by Rebecca Morrison, and they will look to seal their place at next year’s Games in Milan and Cortina via a strong performance at the women’s World Curling Championships in Uijeongbu, South Korea, later this month.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport, and with Milan less than a year away, of course it’s there in the background, but you have to dial it back and focus first on the World Championships, where you hopefully get that qualification spot,” said Dodds.

“When we came home from Beijing we got a lot of opportunities but now it feels like it’s back to normal, it’s back to the grind. At the same time, you no longer feel like you’re going into the unknown.

“I feel like in a position where I can start to give a bit back now. I’m coaching some of the next generation of athletes who are coming through, and for me it’s about seeing their excitement at the beginning of their journey.

“That brings those sorts of feelings back to me. People say that you never quite believe you can achieve something until somebody else does it. I remember back to Rhona and if our win in Beijing is able to do the same for someone else, that is all we can ask.”