Rebecca Matheson is part of a new generation of Scottish sprinters who can set fresh parameters at the Commonwealth Games.
When Matheson was growing up, she admits there were not many Scotland stars within her sport to look up to.
She looked overseas for inspiration, with the medal-hungry teams from Jamaica and the United States catching her eye instead.
But now the Keith sprinter, who represents Aberdeen AAC, is among a five-strong squad who have hopes of reaching the women’s 100m relay final.
Alongside Matheson in the squad are Taylah Spence and Alisha Rees, who hail from Orkney and Torphins respectively and have gone from contestants to colleagues of hers for Team Scotland.
“I started at Elgin and I moved to my club in Aberdeen at 17, so I’ve been there a few years now,” said Matheson. “I’m definitely racking up the miles coming through from Keith, but I feel it’s worth it.
“When I was younger, Scotland didn’t have that many sprinters, so I looked up to the Jamaicans and the Americans more because they were the ones winning Olympics.
“Now in Scotland there’s a lot of sprinters coming through, which is good. This team is really good, because there’s a wide range of events being covered.
“For younger athletes there’s a lot of people for them to look up to. If they’re a field athlete they’ve got people, if they’re a sprinter they’ve got Alisha (Rees), Beth (Dobbin) and Adam (Thomas), plus Zoey (Clark) and Nicole (Yeargin) who are off to worlds as well.”
Matheson has picked up a mentor close to home in the shape of Aberdeen’s Zoey Clark, who will be going to the Commie Games to enter the 400m and the 4x400m relay.
Matheson is part of the same training group as Clark, under the guidance of sprint coach Ryan Oswald in Aberdeen,
“It’s good to see someone from your area doing so well and she’s got a lot of experience. If I have any questions I can ask her – I’ve got someone who’s been there and done it.”
Name: Rebecca Matheson
D.O.B: 7/3/99
Home town: Keith
Previous CG experience: none
Event(s): 4x100m relay
Soaking up that experience is going to be key for someone who is still new to the international stage.
Perhaps Matheson’s biggest achievement so far was being part of the quartet who set the national record for the 4x100m in May – at the same stadium the athletics is going to be held at this summer.
“Making the final would be amazing, but I think just going and taking it in is going to be something to remember,” Matheson said.
“In the moment I’ll be more focused on what I’m doing, but afterwards it’ll be nice to reflect and look back and remember the fun we’ve had.
“I was away on holiday when Glasgow (2014) was on, but I watched it on TV.
“The home crowd looked amazing and, while it’s not a home crowd in Birmingham, it’s as close to one as we were going to get.”
Getting the chance to represent your country at a major competition does act as a major incentive to all sportspeople, regardless of their discipline. But they also have to see progress.
Training can be a grind, particularly during the winter when the days are cold, dark and can leave you lacking motivation. But Matheson believes she is seeing the benefits.
“It’s about improving times. When you see your times getting better and, if you’re working on something in training that clicks, it’s good to see the difference it’s making. It definitely makes the winter worthwhile.
“From a young age I think it’s everyone’s dream to represent their country. Getting there and pulling on a Scotland vest is something everyone should be proud of.”
Massive congratulations to fp, @Becca7399, who has been selected for @Team_Scotland at this summer's commonwealth games! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/ElJhwNo3Hz
— Keith Grammar Sport (@SportAtKGS) July 1, 2022