Jo Muir will fulfil a childhood dream this week when she takes part in the Olympic Games.
The former Castle Douglas High School pupil is representing Team GB in the modern pentathlon, which takes place today and tomorrow in Japan.
And she knows she is following in the footsteps of legends, having watched the Olympics from a young age.
Muir, from Haugh of Urr, said: “I remember watching Kelly Holmes with my mum winning her double gold in 2004. I remember my mum was very emotional.
“I was only nine and I remember asking why she was crying and she told me why it was so amazing.
“I thought it was incredible one person could have such an impact on the general public.
“I’ve also gone back and watched Steph Cook win gold in 2000, the first woman to win pentathlon gold.”
The two-time Stewartry Sports Personality of the Year goes into the games in good form.
She topped the World Cup rankings after claiming a silver medal and two fourth-places, as well as sixth in the final. Last year she won the only World Cup event to take place before the pandemic hit.
Muir is part of a four-strong Team GB assault on the modern pentathlon, with Kate French, Joseph Choong and Jamie Cooke also competing in Tokyo.
The competition began this morning at 5am with the women’s fencing ranking round, with Jo finishing 33rd.
The first swimming heats get under way at 6.25am on Friday, followed by the bonus fencing round at 7.45am.
The show jumping gets under way at 9.15am with the laser run – a combination of running and shooting – at 11.20am.
Muir is just the latest competitor from the Stewartry to compete at such a high level in the last decade.
Castle Douglas mountainbiker Gareth Montgomery and Haugh of Urr shot putter Kirsty Yates both took part in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
And four years later Castle Douglas shooter David McMatch won Commonwealth gold in Gold Coast.
Muir said: “For such a small area we’ve got quite a lot of really good sports people
“We live on a farm just a mile outside the village. I loved growing up there, I was outside doing sport or playing on farm whole childhood.
“It definitely helped me become an athlete, I’d never sit still.
“I used to ride my pony round the village and a lot of local people would know who I was. It’s a really nice community.”
