Record-breaking Habbie rewarded for year of achievements
Jemma Reekie admits she’s still in shock after she capped a glorious year by winning the Young Sports Personality of the Year Award.
The Kilbarchan AAC athlete picked up the gong at the Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards on Thursday.
Reekie, 19, began the year by breaking the 3,000m under- 20 Scottish indoor record in her first ever attempt at the distance, then followed it up with an under- 20 Scottish 800m record.
In June, her 1,500m and 3,000m double at the British Junior Championships made her the first Scot to achieve that double in the history of the under- 20 championships.
And, after a disappointing fourth in the 3,000m final at the European Junior Championships in July, she returned the next day in phenomenal fashion, destroying a strong field by 15m to claim 1,500m gold and become European Champion.
Reekie pipped swimmer Scott McLay and canoeist Ieuan James to the award at the gala event on Thursday and was presented her award by Scottish Government Minister for Public Health and Sport Aileen Campbell.
After a frantic year of racing, Reekie revealed her achievements over the season are finally sinking in.
She said: “It was a big surprise, I haven’t really had the chance to think about any of the awards because the season has been so hectic. But it was a really nice surprise.
“I was saying to my mum the other day that it is crazy how much I’ve achieved this year. I didn’t really think too much about it as it was happening. I won at the Europeans, I didn’t have time to think ‘oh, I’m a European champion’ as I was straight onto the next event.
“I was always moving on to the next thing.
“It was only after the season was done that I realised I’d achieved so much. I’d won British juniors 1,500m and 3,000m — that’s pretty unheard of.”
Reekie has thrived under the tutelage of coach Andy Young and trains alongside European indoor senior champion Laura Muir.
And she says she will challenge herself to make the step up and join Muir at the European Championships in 2018.
Reekie explained: “I was talking about next year with Andy. The targets he’s setting me for next year are actually quite scary. I never thought I’d be aiming for things like that next year.
“Andy thinks I can be competing with the seniors next year.
“One of the aims is the European outdoors next year. It’ll be really hard to get the standard, but it’ll be huge if I can do it and I’m going to give it everything.”
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