Shetland athlete Michelle Sandison has travelled far and wide winning national and international honours during her long career.
The 40-year-old Scottish masters 10,000m track champion still has plenty of ambitions she would love to fulfil in the years ahead.
But, whatever she achieves in the future, nothing is likely to compare with the prize she won on her home patch a little more than 15 years ago.
Sandison, born and raised on the small island of Whalsay, vividly recalls the day she powered to an emphatic victory when representing Shetland in the 10,000m at the 2005 international island games.
She said: “The games were held in Lerwick that year and it was a surreal experience.
“I was able to run in front of my parents, friends and my home community. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.
“To race and win in front of all those people I knew was just amazing – a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
It may have been a highlight, but was certainly not a flash in the pan, as Sandison has proved to be an impressively durable athlete.
She won her first Scotland call-up in 2001, while her most recent appearance in a dark blue vest came at the Home Countries Cross-Country International in 2019.
Cross-country is her preferred racing environment, but she has also shown consistently good form on the road and track.
In the Scottish women’s track championships she has won 5,000m silver (2001), 10,000m silver (2013, 2017 and 2018) and 10,000m bronze (2012 and 2016). She said: “I’m still holding my own against the youngsters, but I’ve never won the gold.
“Maybe I can do it at the next championships.”
Sandison has spent most of her adult life in the Central Belt, firstly as a student at Stirling University, then as a teacher in the Glasgow area.
However, she returned to Whalsay last March and will remain there until this coming summer. She said: “I moved up with my husband, to be with my dad before he died and then the pandemic saw us staying.
“I have been lucky to get a secondment from my job as an additional support needs teacher in West Dunbartonshire and I’ve managed to pick up part-time work as a nursery teacher on Whalsay.
“I turned 40 in April, but I haven’t been able to compete in any races since then.
“I was looking forward to the 2021 international island games on Guernsey, but they have been postponed until 2023.
“It’s a shame as I set qualifying times for the 5,000m and 10,000m by running virtual time trials on Whalsay. I was pleased with that as it’s not flat here and it’s never flat calm.
“I’ll hope to be at the island games in two years time. I don’t see why not. I’m still running faster times than I did when I was younger.
“I’m faster now than when I won in 2005.”
