Australia cannot weight for Fiona
Teen launches funding bid to get to games
A teenage weightlifter’s dream of competing at the Commonwealth Championships were cruelly dashed when her funding was pulled – but she is still determined to be on a flight down under.
Fiona Mackay’s joy at being selected for the Gold Coast games in September quickly turned to disappointment when she discovered all funding had been withdrawn.
But the 15- year- old says she won’t let that stop her from taking part in the once- in- a- lifetime competition and has launched an online funding campaign to support her efforts.
“I was so happy when my coach told me that the Scottish coach had invited me to take part.
“I’m really patriotic, so to represent my country at the Commonwealth Games is a huge deal, but then we were told that we would have to find the money ourselves,” she explained.
The St Andrew’s High pupil has been weightlifting since she was 12, after being inspired by weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
She added: “I had been boxing before, then I switched over to weightlifting. I heard some of the weightlifters at the games at Glasgow talking about how they started lifting when they were 12, and that made me think maybe I could do it.
“I started at a gym in Paisley and then moved to train with the Kavanagh Weighting Team in Glasgow and I have just been getting better and better.”
So much so, that she has picked up several Scottish records for her age and weight, including a 77kg clean and jerk.
Now she has set her sights on the Gold Coast and a chance to mix with top international competition.
“I would love to go out there and compete with a chance to take on the best in the world,” she said.
“I haven’t been a part of the Scottish team before so that’s another big thing for me.
“It is my dream that one day I will go to the Olympics and this is an important step towards that.”
With the help of family and friends, Fiona says she is confident she can get to the games.
She said: “I would really like to thank my mum Sandra and especially my dad Anthony who has given up so much of his time to get me to where I am. I’d also like to thank all my friends, my club and my family for supporting me through all of this. Everyone has been a great help.”
If you wish to support Fiona’s dream then you can donate at : www. justgiving. com/ crowdfunding/fiona-mackaygc17