Cara has hopes of Games glory

Gymnast Cara Kennedy is hoping to put her injury nightmares behind her as she gears up for the Commonwealth Games.

The Games, on Australia’s Gold Coast, will be the Paisley gymnast’s second having previously featured at the Glasgow Games in 2014.

Since them, Kennedy admits it has been a rollercoaster as she has had to battle injuries throughout. But with the Games now in her sights, she says she is fully focused.

Kennedy said:“Since the Glasgow Games training has been a rollercoaster due to many ankle injuries.

“At the start of 2017 and the beginning of the qualifying campaign, I had my third ankle operation so I had to be patient and build up to full training slowly.

“I had built up well and was training all four apparatus again… but for only three months as an Achilles inflammation set me back again. Determined to keep the faith, I slowly built back up to competing all four apparatus and finishing the year on a high.”

Kennedy has previously thanked Andy Binning and the team at the Paisley Physiotherapy Centre for helping her through her injury troubles.

Having worked closely with Binning and her coaches, Kennedy has gone from strength to strength in recent months – and she admits she is feeling good.

She added:“My highlight of 2017 was competing in the vault final at the Northern European Championships. As you have to show two different vaults, it’s the first time since 2013 that I have been able to do this and it’s meant overcoming a lot of physical and mental barriers for me.

“The hardest thing is when it’s been a particularly tough training day or week and you lose sight of what you’re aiming for.

“For the last 14 years, gymnastics has been my life and while it may be a different life to most teenagers, I have a great group of friends and family who I always have fun with when not in the gym.”