Congratulations to Midlothian’s Samantha Gough on winning her first ever British Rowing indoor championships this past weekend in Birmingham, with the PR3 2k race Gold medal. Samantha says ‘I’ve learnt so much and excited to keep improving. Self-confidence is a superpower. Once you start to believe in yourself, magic starts happening’.
Samantha competes in several sports. She played Visually Impaired Football for England and last year took bronze in the European Para Youth Games as the only Scot representing her country at goalball, which she was introduced to at a Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festival. She has recently been selected for the British Rowing Performance pathway. Samantha’s goal is to continue her journey to the Paralympics Paris 2024, and LA 2028
Samantha recently won the Midlothian Award at the Midlothian Young People’s Awards ceremony in recognition of her sporting achievements. She was also commended in the UK parliament for this .with an Early day motion.
She is an ambassador for visually impaired and blind young people, spending her time visiting schools and educational settings. She works at raising awareness for adaptive sports within mainstream settings, making sure that young people with disabilities have the same opportunities in sport as their peers. She felt that she was excluded from PE within school so wants to ensure other young people have better experiences.
Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festivals 2024: