SAMMI’S IN IT FOR LONG HAUL TO OZ
They say life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Sammi Kinghorn wants hers to be both.
The Scots Paralympian was thrilled to be part of the Team GB homecoming in Edinburgh last week as the crowds hailed them for a stunning summer of sport.
Now, after reaching the finals of the T53 wheelchair races at 100 metres, 400m and 800m in Rio, she has her sights set on the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018.
The 20-year-old – who has been racing for three years after a broken back in 2010 left her paralysed from the waist down – is determined to be there in a Scotland vest.
But with only two events available – the 26.2 miles marathon and 1500m – at the Gold Coast event, it has doubled her determination.
Kinghorn said: “I’m going to give it a shot. If I’m out there doing the 1500m and can hit the qualifying standard for a marathon then why not?
“It would change my training regime completely but I have time to do that.”
Kinghorn has never been shy of a challenge since the spinal injury she suffered after being crushed by snow and ice on the family farm.
Af ter w inning tr iple European gold in 2014, she continues to grow in the sport. In Rio she finished fifth, sixth and eighth in her three finals and she said: “It was touch and go whether I’d make final, far less all three. And I got a huge personal best and European record in my 800m.”
The former gymnast and hockey player admits she’s still on a steep learning curve. She said: “My biggest challenge is getting off the start line as fast as possible.
“I’ll be focusing on that this winter, as well as on holding my ground a bit more.
“It can be scary in a chair. I was self- conscious in the pack, trying to move around nicely instead of budging in. In a chair going at 19mph you don’t want to flip it. But I’m hungry for the next one now.”