ALTRINCHAM’S Bex Wilson admits she won’t be able to stop crying until she returns home from her Winter Olympic debut after her long and winding road to the Games ended with a proud 12th-place finish.

Former Wellington School pupil Wilson was unable to walk until she was three-years-old but forged a successful athletics career before turning her attentions to bobsleigh and winning world junior gold with Paula Walker in 2011.

However Wilson ditched that partnership with pilot Walker last season in a bid to get mentally and physically fitter than those also bidding to push for her at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

It was a risky move but one that paid off as Wilson secured selection for the Games last month before pushing Walker to 12th at the highly technical Sanki Sliding Centre.

Wilson was frustrated as they finished with an overall time of 3:54.24 minutes, with their first run of 58.36 seconds their quickest, but she will shed tears of relief that she can now relax – and ditch protein in particular.

“It has been tough, it has been really tough, and now I am just going to cry because it is all over and I always cry,” said Wilson.

“The first thing I am going to do is put my protein in the bin, which I am so happy to get rid of because I am sick of trying to maintain my weight.

“I feel really proud that I competed with Paula and that everything I have done has all paid off.

“I am frustrated with my performance, we both know if we hadn’t mistakes that we could have done better, but people forget how difficult it is to get here.

“I am proud – it is just when you have got a job to do it is frustrating when things don’t go to plan.

“I don’t think people quite realise some of the things I have gone through and to me I am proud and I know my family are and that is all that matters.”

The British pair clocked 58.36 and 58.40 from their first set of two runs on Tuesday and then 58.88 and 58.60 from their next set of two a day later – Walker admitting to a monumental mistake on their penultimate outing.

And, while insisting it will take some time to wipe away the tears of relief, Wilson did reveal that she will be returning to athletics but is also on the lookout for a new challenge.

“I don’t know what there is in store for me. I will get back on the track but I would like to try a new challenge,” she added, “Whether I will be competitive or not I don’t know because I haven’t run over 60m in the past two years. The next year is one to enjoy myself.”

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