WHAT a difference a couple of years can make. In 2014, Erraid Davies, from Orkney, was not only the darling of the pool but, at the age of 13, also the smiling face of Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when she won bronze in the SB9 100m breaststroke.
Achieving a personal best in her category, the look of utter joy on her face was uplifting for all to see. Erraid, who trained all her life with Delting Dolphins in Orkney has Perthes disease, a condition that affects the hip bones and joints. This affects about one in 1,200 children.
Erraid picked up many awards, including Scotland Foundation Role Model of the Year at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards. It was clear how inspirational her story was and how her success could impact on other young women and girls.
Roll forward to 2016 and the forthcoming Olympics Games in Rio, and the young star has been told that she is no longer eligible to participate in her para-swimming event because her condition is no longer severe enough. This news would be devastating for anyone, but at this still very tender age, it must be difficult to accept: a bittersweet moment for Erraid and her family and one that must be so difficult for them to handle.
On the other side of the coin, we have another young swimmer who will be attending the Rio Olympics, 12-year-old Abby Kane. Her commitment is such that she travels from Largs to East Kilbride to be coached by Sharon McIntyre.
Abby, who has Stargardt disease, a condition that leads to progressive vision loss, set a new British record and went under the required time of one minute 13.24 seconds in the heats of the S13 100m backstroke with a time of 1:11.92. Abby is in good company should she be in need of inspiration, as Scotland’s Libby Clegg, gold medal winner in 2014, suffers from a similar condition
Athletes, who are totally focused on winning and on their next competition, need to be fully aware that one small twist of fate can put all their hard work and training into jeopardy, and that is something they have to prepare for. It can be difficult for the most mature of athletes to deal with and I believe we have to ensure that all athletes are supported when they receive dispiriting news.
But another Scot who has shown strength of character and indomitable spirit is rower Katherine Grainger. What an inspirational figure she is to women and girls of all ages. What an inspiration she is to women of all ages. Taking up the challenge of one more Olympics, Katherine came out of her self-imposed semi-retirement after winning gold in London to train for Rio 2016. Despite a few disappointments along the way, she now looks set to compete in her fifth Olympics.
It is important to understand, though, that while we celebrate the successes of Scots such as these, there are also those who have just missed out, particularly those who have been denied the chance to prove themselves against their rivals. Months, sometimes even years, of training can be washed away in a heartbeat.
As we draw nearer to the world’s biggest fiesta, with the Rio opening ceremony just under 50 days away, let’s take a little time out to have compassion for those athletes who may have to sit this one out and join the rest of us on the couch.
Maureen McGonigle is the founder of Scottish Women in Sport
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