<\/p>\n
“When I saw that, I really wanted to give that a go. So that’s when I first tried out with wheelchair racing.”<\/p>\n
Fellow Scot Kinghorn is a three-time world champion and the 30-year-old won Paralympic gold in the T53 100m class in Paris two years ago.<\/p>\n
“Wheelchair racing offers so much in the way of challenges, goals and ambitions,” Robertson suggested. “I never was competitive, but it was when I became injured that I got the challenge.<\/p>\n
“I thought, ‘oh, I want to see what I can do wheelchair racing’. I haven’t looked back since. I’ve done a lot of road races and then challenged the track work.<\/p>\n
“My coach, Philip Owens, has been keeping me on the right track. It’s been a tremendous journey.<\/p>\n
“I have been doing a lot of the marathon races where I went and competed in the London Marathon, Shanghai Marathon. I competed abroad in Switzerland quite a few times. This year, we were down in Australia for their summer, which was incredible.<\/p>\n
“I’m very privileged and lucky to be able to do the sport that I love full-time as well.”<\/p>\n
She says representing her homeland in Scotland this year will be a career highlight, with Robertson selected along with compatriots and fellow wheelchair racers Sean Frame and Ben Sandilands.<\/p>\n
“It’s such a prideful moment to be able to put on the colours of your home and to represent your homeland,” Robertson said. “It was a big day for me when I got that vest.<\/p>\n
“To have my friends and family so close by as well and cheering us on. It will always give that extra push as well that every athlete needs.<\/p>\n
“We’re ramping up the training, making sure we’ve got loads of the sprints and the speed endurance in there as well and aiming for gold if we can.<\/p>\n
“That’s the plan. Is it realistic? Oh, we’ll make it realistic.”<\/p>\n
Prior to becoming a full-time athlete, Robertson worked for the charity Spinal Injury Scotland.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to help support those who are newly injured because it’s a whole new world for people,” she said. “I hope now I can be the inspiration that I needed when I was first injured and when I was first getting into the sport.<\/p>\n
“I hope to give back what I gained from the other top athletes.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n