Thousands of athletes from across the globe are gearing up to compete at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The sporting spotlight will shine on Birmingham as more than 5,000 athletes from 72 nations prepare for 280 events over 20 sports.
And ten Fifers are among those flying the flag for Team Scotland from Thursday (July 28) until Monday, August 8.
Laura Devlin profiles our local heroes.
Emma Russell
Former Woodmill High School pupil Emma Russell is the youngest competitor from Tayside and Fife on Team Scotland.
The Dunfermline swimmer, 18, has already tasted success on the international stage, winning gold in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay and 4×200 metre freestyle relay at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest last year.
Fun weekend at Edinburgh International 🏊🏼♀️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Wi3bCaknwN
— Emma Russell (@emmarussell51) March 13, 2022
The Stirling University student – who has been swimming competitively since she was 11 and trains with Duncan Scott, Ross Murdoch and Kathleen Dawson – was even in the frame for a place at the Tokyo Olympics last year before missing out.
She told The Herald: “It’s pretty weird to have people talking about me and the Olympics.
“My parents find it really strange too. They don’t come from a swimming background so it’s crazy to them that I’m being talked about like this.
“It’s really exciting to be even mentioned though.
“When I was younger, like most swimmers I dreamt about making an Olympic team.”
Jenny Selman
Fife runner Jenny Selman is competing in her first Commonwealth Games.
The 31-year-old won gold in the 800m at the UK Indoor Championship in February, beating fellow Scot Jemma Reekie, who came fourth at last year’s Olympics.
Away from the track, Jenny works as a funding manager for Edinburgh Leisure and is close friends with Eilish McColgan, her former University of Dundee flatmate.
In March, she said: “We [Eilish and I] trained together at the end of high school and then at Dundee University.
“It was always obvious from a young age that people like Eilish and Lynsey Sharp were super-talented and they were kind of destined to do well.
“And I never really saw myself in that way. So I never thought: ‘I wish that’d be me,’ or ‘that should have been me’.
“I’ve genuinely been really happy for people like Eilish, who’s achieved so much over the years.
“It’s been so good to see them do so well.”
Finlay Allan
It’s also a Commonwealth Games debut for 24-year-old Finlay Allan.
The former Bell Baxter High School pupil is part of an 11-strong judo team selected for Birmingham.
He competes in the 66kg category.
Dundee-born Finlay, raised in Cupar, now trains at Surrey’s Camberley Judo Club, one of the UK’s top judo clubs.
Emily Bremner
Kirkcaldy gymnast Emily Bremner is another Fifer competing in her first Commonwealth Games.
The 20-year-old – who started gymnastics aged five – will be part of the women’s artistic team competing at Arena Birmingham.
A former Balwearie High School pupil, Emily has just finished her second year studying marketing and business at Abertay University.
Last November, she won gold in the women’s all-around at the Northern European Championships in Cardiff.
Mark Szaranek
Medallist Mark Szaranek’s first taste of competitive action was as a youngster at Glenrothes Swimming Club.
The Stirling University athlete, 26, is featuring in his second Commonwealth Games.
At the 2018 Gold Coast games, he won silver in the 400m individual medley, as well as bronze in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay.
Mark – born in Kirkcaldy – is a former student of the University of Florida and trained with the renowned Florida Gators team.
Katie Robertson
Katie Robertson will compete at her second Commonwealth Games having been part of Team Scotland’s seventh-place finish in the Gold Coast four years ago.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who has been named the hockey team’s vice-captain, is a PE teacher at Dollar Academy.
As a 13-year-old growing up in Freuchie, Fife, she won the European Showjumping Championships with Team GB.
But in 2010 a fall from a horse knocked her unconscious and left her with a broken shoulder and collarbone.
Robertson, who now lives in Crieff, turned to hockey and has more than 50 Scottish and GB caps to her name.
Sarah Jane Ewing
Bowls hopeful Sarah Jane Ewing returns to Team Scotland for a second Commonwealth Games after a fourth place finish as director to Robert Barr in the B2/B3 Mixed Pairs at Gold Coast 2018.
She will direct Robert once again at Birmingham 2022.
The 36-year-old is a member of Dunfermline’s Abbeyview Bowling Club and has previously won a gold and a silver World Championship medal as a director.
Sarah Jane recently told Bowls Scotland: “I was introduced to the sport by my elderly neighbours who took me to the green during the school summer holidays.
“They were very supportive and followed my early bowling career.”
Oliver Carter
Para swimmer Oliver Carter, from Cupar, is making his debut at the games.
The 22-year-old – who swims under the S10 classification – was born with his legs facing the wrong way and took up the sport after a major lower leg operation at the age of ten.
The athlete, whose hero is Olympic legend Michael Phelps, says: “I can now walk properly, I can run and jump because of swimming.
“After years of being a competitive swimmer I’ve actually got a calf muscle that’s visible.
“It has helped me get physically stronger and makes me feel happy. You are weightless when you’re in the water and it feels amazing.”
A student at Stirling University, Oliver is also a published author.
His fantasy novel Mythos and World of Terra Tearia – written during lockdown – was released earlier this year.
Eve Pearson
Dunfermline hockey player Eve Pearson is another debutant – and she’s also the youngest member of the women’s squad in Birmingham.
The Edinburgh University student, 20, is also in line for her first Scotland appearance.
Last month she said: “I’m buzzing. It’ll obviously be my first Commonwealth Games and my first caps as well. This is huge for me.
“After I joined the squad I started to believe in myself. Once I started training I took the pressure off myself and it made me able to perform to the best of my abilities.
“I feel so lucky to be playing alongside all the girls in the team.
“The first game against South Africa will be my first cap and that’s the game that’ll be the massive one for me.”
Nicole Yeargin
Nicole Yeargin, 24, was born and bred in California but competes for Team Scotland.
That’s because the 400m runner’s mum Lynn is from Dunfermline – and her grandparents still live in the Fife city.
She ran for Pitreavie AAC as part of her preparations for last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Nicole heads into the Birmingham games in fine form after claiming bronze at the World Championships as part of Great Britain’s 4x400m women’s relay team.
7 Perth and Kinross athletes competing at Commonwealth Games
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