Edinburgh College welcomes back professional curler and Olympic gold medallist Jen Dodds
Edinburgh College was delighted to recently welcome back one of its most successful alumni, Olympian Jen Dodds.
Jen, who previously studied HNC Fitness, Health and Exercise at the College's Sighthill Campus, joined us at Milton Road to take part in a campaign wishing the Scotland Men’s Team the best of luck ahead of the World Cup 2026.
Titled “Pass the Ball for Scotland”, the campaign sees famous alumni from the majority of Colleges across Scotland coming together to send a good luck message to Steve Clarke’s side, as they prepare for a first World Cup bow in almost three decades. Featuring appearances from the likes of ex-Hibs player Darren Dods, professional chef Tom Kitchin, and World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman, the video celebrates the ability of Colleges to act as platforms for students to go on to great things.
Jen, who won a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, greatly enjoyed stepping foot back on her old stomping ground:
“It’s really nice to be back in a College atmosphere, it’s actually made me think do I go back to some sort of education 10 years post leaving College? It’s all sort of good memories I would say, I remember a really friendly environment, and it felt the same coming here again today. The staff are all really friendly and want to help each other.”
We also asked Jen how she balanced her studies with her burgeoning sporting career when she was a student at the College:
“It’s very hard! I was doing a fitness course, so it actually worked quite well alongside being an athlete. I was learning what I was doing as an athlete, at College. It was a lot of meeting with my lecturers and explaining my situation, I had people from Sport Scotland helping with that too, and they were really flexible with timelines.
“I remember I was away at the World Universities, just before Christmas, and in classic fashion, most of the deadlines are due right around Christmas. They let me extend the deadlines into January and February, just to let me focus on that tournament, and that was really helpful.”
Finally, we wondered if our resident Olympian had any advice for current students hoping to pursue sporting greatness:
“Just be really open and honest with both sides, with your coaches and with your teachers and lecturers. The more they understand your situation, the easier it is for them to understand your position. Take all of the advice and support on offer, especially performance and lifestyle, I found that really helpful. And enjoy both! I was very much concentrating on curling, but having that time where I was learning and using my energy for something else, I loved that.”