Sammi Kinghorn says mental shift behind 2024 Paralympic successes

Paralympic gold medallist Sammi Kinghorn says improving her mental fitness was instrumental to her success in 2024.

Kinghorn, 28, won five medals at the Paris Paralympics, including gold in the 100m T53 and a further four silvers across a range of track distances.

The haul added to her 100m bronze at the Covid-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games to take the Borders athlete’s overall tally to six.

“I was physically fit, but not mentally,” Kinghorn, speaking to BBC Scotland, explained of previous events. “I’ve worked really, really hard this year on that.

“You can have all the natural ability, you can work as hard as you can but if you don’t believe that you can then you never will.

“There were still times where I would panic and be like, ‘maybe I can’t’. That’s when I leaned on that incredible support group that I have to deal with me and my doubts.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I got to ring the bell, which is going into Notre Dame, which is just such a special thing. It’s so unique to Paris and such a cool thing. When that’s actually put back into Notre Dame, I’ll be able to say, ‘I rung that bell’.

Kinghorn’s latest accolade was being named female Para-athlete of the year at the Scottish Sports Awards on Wednesday.

Stephen McGuire took the equivalent male award after his Paris boccia gold medal.

“I’m so sad that I won my first Paralympic medal in front of nobody, without my friends and family there because they do mean so much to me,” Kinghorn added.

“To be able to share these ones with them and with my coach… it’s for them just as much as it is for me.”