Sammi Kinghorn is home alone, trying to get used to peace and quiet having become accustomed to 80,000 people cheering for her as she became one of Scotland’s most successful Paralympic athletes of all-time.
Paris 2024 was an unequivocal triumph for Kinghorn. Having won world and European titles, as well as a Paralympic silver and bronze already in her career, Kinghorn went into Paris 2024 knowing there was only one significant gap in her resume: a Paralympic gold medal.
Having been in the form of her life in 2024, it should perhaps have come as no surprise that Kinghorn did, indeed, become Paralympic champion in Paris by winning the T53 100m. And by also collecting four silver medals, in the 400m, 800m, 1500m and mixed relay, Kinghorn, from the Borders, ensured she’s written herself in Scottish sporting history books.
But, as she looks at her medals lying on her couch, tucked into socks to protect them, she admits getting used to the often-mentioned “Paralympic comedown” hasn’t been entirely easy over the past week-or-so.
“I’ve found it quite difficult at times since the end of the Games. As an athlete, you’re quite selfish and you think the whole world revolves around you but then you realise it doesn’t because everyone’s back at work and back to their normal lives,” the 28-year-old says.
"I’m home alone thinking, ‘Oh well, I don’t have 80,000 people shouting my name like I did a couple of weeks ago’. It’s quite a contrast. “I tried for so long to win gold so it is strange to have now done it. And I have thought, ‘Okay, what now?’”
Kinghorn has been on the international scene for a decade but it’s her Paralympic title that’s the pinnacle of what’s been a consistently world-class career.
However, given that she had five events on her schedule in Paris – and won medals in them all – she admits that she still hasn’t quite come to terms with her success.
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“It’s still not fully sunk in that I won five medals,” she says. “People will have seen by my emotions after I won gold what it meant.
“I still don’t feel like it’s real – the Games went so fast and I was competing so much that it was a whirlwind, and because I had more events after winning gold, I couldn’t celebrate that win, I had to just put the medal in a drawer and go again. So it feels quite surreal”
Kinghorn’s journey to this point has been well-documented; an accident on her family farm at the age of 14 left her paralysed from the waist down and she admits that despite the fact the dust has barely settled on Paris, she has allowed herself to marvel over the path her life has taken since her accident, and the position she’s put herself in whereby she can have a significant impact on the way other disabled people may view their life prospects.
“This year, I’ve been in a wheelchair the same length of time that I was standing and I’m really proud of my journey,” she says.
“Since Paris, I have sat back and thought about the past 14 years. It’s pretty mad and pretty amazing at the same time.
“I remember lying in hospital wondering if I’d be stuck in bed forever, so to now be one of the best athletes in the world is crazy. I didn’t think this is the direction my life would go.
“I’ve had so many people messaging me saying their sons or daughter s watched me on the television. I don’t necessarily want to inspire people to get into sport but I’d love to think there’s kids watching me who see that after having an accident, you can still be successful. I want people to see that even if you’re disabled, you’re still capable. That’s important.”
Kinghorn is still basking in the glory of her medal haul at the Paris 2024 Paralympics but already, she has one eye on her next challenge.
Having established herself as the best female T53 sprinter on the planet, she’s now planning on going to the other end of the athletics spectrum: the marathon.
The demands of 26.2 miles could not be more different from the 100m but Kinghorn admits that a new challenge is just what she needs to fuel her motivation and drive over the coming months.
“I feel content with my 100m gold and I’m excited about a new challenge,” she says of her plan to race the marathon. “I want to test myself in other ways and that’s what’s behind the change. It’ll be nice to have another goal.”
Before Kinghorn throws herself into any marathon training, though, she’s got a holiday in Singapore and Bali planned, as well as the small matter of the final preparations for her wedding to her fiance, Callum, which will take place in January.
And once that’s over, Kinghorn will be back to the day job of chasing medals.
