Paralympic gold medal is aim of Fife ace Ben Sandilands

The 19-year-old from Kirkcaldy has been excelling at regular national events in recent days, winning the senior men’s 1500m at the Scottish Senior Championships in 3mins 48.47secs and the Welsh International Men’s under-20 800m – breaking the stadium record – when representing Scotland in Swansea.

And, after his diagnosis this spring of dyslexia and autism causing intellectual impairment, Sandilands is now on a different path towards competing internationally at T20 level from next year.

Sandilands’ proud mum Claire told the Fife Free Press: "I don’t think Ben would have to choose one path or the other.

"He is a phenomenal runner UK wise but at the moment his main focus internationally is the para side of things.

“With the backing of his coach Steve Doig and with Ben’s ability and the training group he runs with I think a Paralympic gold medal is hopefully achievable.

“He trains with Owen Miller, who won the men’s T20 1500m Paralympic gold medal in Tokyo last year.

"Ben was so excited about that. It was a phenomenal race and he’s so proud of Owen and I think he’d love to emulate that.”

Sandilands, a student at Scottish Rural College’s Elmwood campus, will attend a Paralympics Future camp at Coventry on September 17 and 18 – attended by the UK’s best young Para athletes – as the latest part of his development.

Although Sandilands was born in London, he moved to Kirkcaldy – his dad Rory’s home town – aged three. His grandmother Jenny was a PE teacher in the town.

The talented teenager has been running ever since he excelled aged 10 doing the Boxing Day run – encompassing one lap of the Beveridge Park – and was advised to run more seriously.

Sandilands then started training under Doig for the first time at Balwearie running club. And Doig’s guidance has been invaluable ever since, highlighted last year when Sandilands won the 800m and 1500m Scottish Under-20 Championship titles on consecutive days at Aberdeen.

"Ben just loves to chat with people at athletics competitions,” Claire added. “It’s something he knows and something he’s confident about so when he’s at any athletics event he’s just a different person, so happy.

"He just loves running. The people he runs with, be it Fife AC or competitors, they’re just great with him.”