10 Children in Scotland February 2015

It was a day that would change her life forever. WhenSamantha Kinghorn was 14 years old, she was involved in an accident that left her with a broken back on thefarm she lived with her family in the Scottish Borders.

The athlete and Commonwealth Games competitorspent six months in hospital and it was during this timethat she first heard about disability sport. She went to thespinal unit games and tried lots of different sports andactivities. This is where she saw wheelchair racing for thefirst time and fell in love with the sport.

This was in 2011, and, a year later, Samantha managed toraise enough money to buy her own racing chair. Aftertraining for just two weeks, Samantha participated in herfirst race: the London mini marathon, and, incredibly,finished in second place.

In 2013, Samantha was selected to be part of theGreat Britain senior team and was also selected forthe 2014 Commonwealth Games where shecompeted in the 1,500m. Samantha qualified for thefinals and finished in fifth place. Following the Gamesshe was selected for her Team GB debut in theEuropean Championships where she won threegold medals in the 100m, 400m and 800m.

Samantha, 18, who proved to be one of the stars of theshow when she appeared at Children in Scotland’s SportsConference at Hampden Park last October, isundoubtedly an inspiration to many, whether they have adisability or not. She is adamant that that nation’s youngpeople should be involved in sport, explaining: “If therewas a child not taking part in sport I would have to ask

why and what their worries were, and try and find a sportthey enjoy. For them to be interested, they need to knowabout all the good things sport can bring.

“The benefits of sport and exercise are feeling great in yourself, feeling fit and healthy, and it's a chance tosocialise with different people, so you can make friends. It's also a chance for you to travel, which is just amazing,and meet people on a much larger spectrum.”

And her advice to children and young people who maybe struggling at their chosen discipline? “My advice wouldbe to never give up. For me, my biggest worry in my sportis not achieving what I feel I should achieve. What mymum always tells me is ‘as long as you never give up thenyou can never fail’. This is what I always try and remember– if you give it 100% then you have succeeded.

“I have taught children about disability and how it is an elite sport and about how sport just makes youhappier and healthy. Kids always get so confused about my sport until they see my chair and I always give them a go in it so they can understand how it works.”

And as one expects from someone as driven andambitious as Samantha, she is already thinking well ahead:“My plans for the future are mostly in athletics. I want tobe a full-time athlete for as long as possible at the highestlevel and go to as many Paralympics as possible.

“After my athletics career, I would like to do moreinspirational talks to gain experience in that area.” For many young people, though, Samantha is already a great inspiration.

After a tragic farm accident, Samantha Kinghorn refused to let disability stop her fromembarking on a successful career in wheelchair athletics, discovers David A. Findlay

“What my mumalways tells meis ‘as long asyou never giveup then you can never fail’”

No barriersto sport

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