Marvellous Megan in medal double at Masters champs
Gymnast Megan Docherty gained a major confidence boost by winning double bronze at the British Disability Masters Championships in her first major competition since recovering from a serious knee injury.
Megan, 18, took third place in vault and beam, and fourth in floor at the competition in Liverpool on Saturday, March 16.
Proud mum Shona McIntyre says it was brilliant to see Megan enjoy herself, having sustained a meniscus tear at the end of last year, and they went into the competition with no expectation at all.
Shona, who recently moved from Bathgate to Linlithgow, said: “Megan is really pleased, especially because it’s her first big comp after her meniscus tear at the end of last year, so she’s happy, which is good.
“The injury did impact her training. When her training was impacted, it did affect her mental health, which it does with most athletes, if they can’t train to the level they’re used to, but she’s built herself back up.
“We were going into the competition just hoping for her to have fun and enjoy it, so to come away with the two bronze is a bonus.
“She was really pleased. She had one fall on beam, so to come away with the bronze, still, is really good, because you lose a whole point for a fall.
“It has been really good, she’s really pleased.
“This will go a long way towards helping her confidence after the injury, to come back and be able to see that she can still give her best and go out there and enjoy it as well.”
Shona says Megan throws herself into gymnastics, and gets out of the sport as much as she puts in.
She said: “For the last three years Megan has done really well, since she started doing disability comp, and having the opportunity to do that has opened a few doors for her.
“She’s pretty determined, so she likes to achieve, and gymnastics has a special place in her heart.
“She literally lives and breathes it, so it’s a very special thing for her.
“Megan started gymnastics when she was eight and a half, but owing to her difficulties, she didn’t start competing until a little bit later on.
“It was just floor and vault, and round about 2018 or 2019 she went into four-piece and has gone from strength to strength, which has been really nice to watch, and see her love of her sport.
“She struggles with everything else, so to see her out there doing what she loves is special.
“It’s her outlet, it’s her joy, it’s her hyper-focus, so it gives to her as much as she gives to it, which is a really good combination.
“It allows her to express herself through movement, which is good.”
Megan has a camp and competition coming up in England in July, and is preparing for the British Championships in September.