The Scot leading Australia's curling hopefuls

Helen Williams' curling career has taken her on a long journey in every sense.

She grew up on farms in the Stranraer area and learned to play at the North West Castle hotel in the town.

Her ability was such that she was once the lead in a team featuring future Olympic gold medallist Rhona Martin, but an ankle injury in 1997 saw her decide to take a year out in Australia.

She liked her new surroundings so much that she never came back and now the 51-year-old plays as skip for her new homeland's national team.

Her original career plan, when she went to the University of Glasgow in 1990 to study medicine, was to be a rural GP.

Instead, she has ended up as a paediatrician at Perth Children's Hospital while also teaching medical students at the University of Western Australia.

Before she left Scotland, she was a rising star of her sport and skipped a team to second spot in the Scottish Junior Championships.

Helen had an eye on the 1998 Winter Olympics but her injury ruled that out and sent her down another path.

"That was the opportunity for me to travel overseas and I came to Australia," she said.

"Initially I'd only planned to stay in Australia for a year.

"Once it was clear that time was going to extend I heard there was curling in Victoria and went across for a bonspiel."

That trip - about 3,200 miles (5,150km) - proved more successful than she had imagined.

"By the end of that weekend I was told I was playing for Australia and skipping the team which was quite a shock," she said.

"Curling was a niche sport in Australia in the early 2000s but is growing in numbers.

"Now there are clubs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth."

After a break of more than a decade to have children, she is now back to skipping the national side - made up of two Canadians and one player born in Australia.

She describes the team as a "lovely mixture of experience, skills, personalities and nationalities".

Helen brings a little bit of Stranraer to proceedings.

"My Scottish background is definitely influential," she said.

"It's very special knowing the history of the sport and the strong connections to family.

"I enjoy being part of promoting and developing the sport in another country.

"My family instilled a work ethic to give your best efforts, be respectful of others and take opportunities.

"I hope these values are exemplified in my leadership of the team."

Helen's work ethic has helped her team achieve its first goal of winning the Pan Continental Curling Championships B division and getting Australia back into the A division.

"Next goal is to win Australian nationals in 2025 and play for a spot to qualify Australia in the world championships," she said.

The process has not been without its challenges, what with the lack of dedicated facilities in Australia - that means training is either online or requires a lengthy trip to New Zealand.

Helen describes it as a "privilege" but also a "big responsibility" to skip the team.

"It's important that Australia performs well at international events to get more recognition and funding," she said.

"Ultimately Australia need support to build a dedicated curling rink to be able to provide a facility where athletes can train regularly and regularly offer the sport to the next generation."

And, under the Australian sun, is there much she misses about Scotland?

"Stranraer is a beautiful place to live, with lovely people," she said.

"My Australian children are amazed by the scenery and how green the landscape is

"Scotland will always have a special place for me in my heart and I enjoy visiting family and friends.

"Listening to bagpipes always makes me very nostalgic for Scotland."