Megan eyes 2014 Commonwealth Games
A TOP junior open water swimmer has set her sights on competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
Megan Donnelly, from Mosshead Road, Bearsden, believes taking part in the event would be a huge honour and a reward for all the hard training work she is currently putting in.
The former St Joseph's Primary School pupil now attends The Glasgow School of Sport at Bellahouston Academy so she can cram in nine training sessions a week as well as her academic work.
Megan (15) said: "I've just always loved the sport. I used to go swimming with my dad and it has just progressed from there.
"I'll be 20 when the Glasgow Games are staged and this is the idea age to be involved."
The long-distance swimmer was recently chosen, along with seven other Scots, to be part of a 32-strong Great Britain team that will compete in the Open Water French Cup next month.
Megan will line up in a 5 kilometre race in Creil, near Paris, followed a couple of days training at Roquebrune. She will then race in another 5k race, this time in the sea.
And Megan's busy schedule continues when she returns to Scotland. She plans to compete in the Scottish championships in Tollcross in the east end of Glasgow before heading back to France with the Scotland team to take part in a three-day open water competition.
Megan already has experience of competing successfully overseas. At the age of 11, she won a gold medal in her age group in an 800 metres event in Toronto.
She has trained and competed all over the world, including Canada, Spain, Iceland, America, Portugal, Belgium and Holland
But her most impressive achievement came in March 2008 when she qualified for the British Olympic junior trails in Sheffield in the 200 metres butterfly.
Megan said: "I swam a personal best of two minutes 25.81 seconds. It was the best experience ever."
And the talented youngster has adopted a positive approach to keep her going over the longer three, five or even 10 kilometre racess.
She said: "I always have a good song in my head which I sing over and over again.
"If I'm swimming a 10 kilometre race it can take me well over two hours and it can be annoying if I get an advert in my head."
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Weather for Milngavie
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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