Hot List 2016: our sport picks including Katie Archibald, Rory Skinner and Jo Butterfield

Such has been her meteoric rise through the ranks, it is easy to forget that less than a handful of years have passed since Katie Archibald made the transition from hobby cyclist earning a bit of extra pocket money racing on the Highland grass tracks to bona fide velodrome queen.

Among the recent additions to her glittering palmares was a trio of gold medals at the 2015 European Track Championships in Switzerland. She claimed her first world title at the age of 19 and took bronze on home soil at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Now the biggest prize of all is in her sights: an Olympic medal. The 21-year-old from Milngavie is part of the impressive Great Britain women’s endurance squad alongside London 2012 champions Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell Shand.

Her campaign to this year's Rio Olympic Games will begin in earnest in March when Archibald and the Great Britain women look to exact revenge on Australia after being made to settle for world silver in Paris last year.

The 2016 Track Cycling World Championships take place at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London – the venue for so much of Team GB’s Olympic success four years ago – from March 2-6. Expect Archibald to be firmly in the mix.

RORY SKINNER, MOTORCYCLING

The height of most 14-year-old boys' ambition is to get another half-hour in bed but not Perth's Rory Skinner. While his contemporaries snooze their way through what remains of the New Year holidays, the youngster will be out running or mountain-biking rather than eating sweeties.

Skinner will be competing in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. That is a long-winded way of saying he's Scotland's brightest motorcycling hope since Niall Mackenzie gave up grave-digging to be thrust in the world of Grand Prix racing more than three decades ago.

That he's a talented boy is not in doubt: the Scottish Auto Cycle Union granted him special dispensation to ride in the Formula 125 class at the age of 11, rather than the usual 12. At 13, he won the British Superteen series, which has developed the careers of a host of riders, including former world champion Casey Stoner.

Fitting schoolwork into a schedule that saw him take 42 flights last year is tough but he says his teachers at Perth High give him homework to do while he's travelling.

"The school is 100 per cent behind me and I won School Sports Personality of the Year," he says.

Skinner, who is backed by the Racing Steps Foundation, was heartened to see England's Danny Kent win the Moto3 championship – the first Briton to win a Grand Prix championship since Barry Sheene in 1977. His ambition is to be in that class (the old 125cc GP championship) in two years.

Hopefully, Kent's success might herald new golden age for motorcycle racing and maybe, just maybe, Scotland's Rory Skinner will be in the vanguard.

WILLIE COLLUM, FOOTBALL

The joke doing the rounds after Scotland became the only nation from the British Isles not to qualify for this summer’s European football championships was that at least we would now get an idea of what independence might have felt like.

Yip, while us Scots will be stuck at home with the empty nobody wanted, the English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Irish will all be heading for a massive party in France. The irony that it was the Scots who begged UEFA to expand the tournament from 16 to 24 countries and still couldn’t qualify will not be lost on many. It was the typically Scottish way of making a mess of a potentially promising situation.

But, wait. There will be at least one Scot in attendance at Euro 2016. Step forward Willie Collum, a referee whose unrivalled ability to repeatedly unite warring factions – they all agree he’s hopeless – should one day earn him a Nobel Peace Prize.

Uefa, though, think Collum is doing a fine job and have therefore asked him to bring along his whistle, yellow and red cards, and overly-officious manner to Paris in the summer. Sure makes you proud to be Scottish. Well, sort of.

JO BUTTERFIELD, ATHLETICS

Five years have passed since Jo Butterfield awoke in a hospital bed to discover she was paralysed from the chest down.

A few months earlier, she had experienced the seemingly minor irritation of pins and needles in her feet. A scan at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, formerly the Southern General, in Glasgow led to the discovery of a tumour around the size of a large grape on her spine.

Butterfield – then a civil servant with the Army – was told there was a 0.01 per cent chance that surgery could end in paralysis. The odds didn't play in her favour.

"No-one knows what went wrong," she says. "It is just one of those things. There has to be a 0.01 per cent chance of someone being paralysed otherwise it would be zero chance, which isn't realistic."

While lesser mortals would have crumbled, the 36-year-old was unwaveringly resolute. "I can honestly say I felt OK," she says. "I didn't have that 'woe is me' reaction. Right from the start I thought: 'Right, I can't change this. But I'm still me.'"

Butterfield, who has since medically retired from the Army, spent six months in hospital. "I'm quite a stubborn person," she says, smiling. "That has only been strengthened in the last few years. If anyone tells me I can't do something, I will spend my life proving them wrong.

"From the outset, I was determined I was going to live by myself and do all of my own care. I'm paralysed from chest down. I can move my arms and thumbs, but I don't have any grip in my hands. I have no movement in my wrists. I have very little triceps, so I can't extend my arms in the air."

Originally from Doncaster, Butterfield has called Glasgow home for almost two decades. Following her initial rehabilitation she joined the newly-formed Caledonian Crushers, a wheelchair rugby team in her adopted city.

"I'm still the vice-captain of the Caledonian Crushers and play rugby when I can for fun," she says. "It holds a massive place in my heart. There are not many sports that are aimed at individuals with higher levels of disability. It is also scary, dangerous and exciting which appeals to me."

Butterfield took up athletics in March 2014. Her throwing prowess was spotted at an open day for the talent identification programme Girls4Gold. On her first attempt she casually threw the discus six metres – an impressive distance for a rookie.

British Athletics promptly snapped her up. Five months later, Butterfield won gold in the F51 club throw at the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea. Last October she became world champion in that same discipline and also took bronze in the F52 discus.

When I think of Rio I …

Feel nervous and excited. Going in as world champion there is definitely more of an expectation which is something I'm not used to. I don't get fazed by that expectation. At the end of the day I love what I do and have an amazing opportunity.

I do want to win and I'm not afraid to say that. As long as I know I've gone to every training session, worked hard, not stayed up late or gone out partying, then throw the best I can then, I will be happy.

The fact I'm sitting here, being asked: 'What's next?' and I'm able to say: 'Rio' is ridiculous in the best possible way. To be aiming for a Paralympic Games is beyond my wildest dreams.

What's the biggest adversity you've overcome?

That moment when you realise you are going to be in a wheelchair. It is hard to explain to someone what it is like. The not walking part isn't that big of a deal because the chair does most of that – but it's the fact it affects everything.

I still wake up, look over at my chair and think: 'Can I not just have a day off? Even for an hour …' Nothing escapes it. It is there every day, all of the time.

The part I struggle with the most, though, is having to depend on other people. I'm independent and stubborn. I know they don't mind it and want to help, but having to rely on someone else is hard.

My mum regularly gets upset that her daughter is in a wheelchair. I did recently have to tell her to get over it – in the nicest possible way. I'm happy and have a really good life. No-one needs to be sad for me.

I think sport has definitely helped. The fact my mum can see me succeeding and living this great life with wonderful opportunities has helped her realise it's not the end of the world.

Where do you draw strength from?

I'm a Christian so that is one of the biggest influences in my life. My faith has always been important to me. It helps you see the bigger picture.

I have supportive family and friends. They keep me grounded and won't let me feel sorry for myself – or get too big-headed either. It's a combination of their support and my own strength of character.

What's your proudest moment?

Winning European gold in 2014 because that was my first major championships – and I did it on my first throw. It was a peach and set a new European record. That felt special.

To become world champion last October was amazing. I still don't quite believe it. It feels surreal.

What are the biggest misconceptions about para-sport?

When I talk about competing and people say: "Oh, it's good to see you getting out the house." I can definitely think of far easier and more fun ways to get out of the house.

There is also a misconception that success is handed to you on a plate and anyone with a disability could do this. There needs to be a winning mentality and a desire to succeed.

How does it feel to be seen as a role model for others?

It is a little strange. I just live my life. If someone gave me the choice not to be in a chair I would accept it. I do struggle with being called an inspiration. Yet, if what I'm doing in my life can make other people feel better or achieve more, then that's pretty special and makes me proud.

What would be the ultimate dream?

A Paralympic medal. I try not to put a colour on it. I would be lying, though, if I said I was world champion and didn't want to be Paralympic champion too.

When I'm not doing athletics I can be found … Doing normal things like going to the cinema. I enjoy taking my friend's kids to the park or ten-pin bowling. I love food and nice restaurants – although I'm still a bit guilty of calling up to make a reservation and forgetting to tell them I'm in a wheelchair.

Your eye-catching hair has become a bit of a trademark.

It was pink for a while and then purple for the world championships. My friend is a hairdresser so that helps. It doesn't cost anything – just the odd bit of babysitting.

I'm not sure what colour it will be for Rio but it definitely won't be a Union flag as everyone keeps assuming. I can promise it won't be boring. My character is to have a little fun.

Tell us something not many people know about you.

My middle name is Shuni. It is from the bible and means fortunate. My parents had a baby girl before me who died when she was still an infant. When they had another girl a year later – me – my dad chose the name Shuni. I use it in my Twitter handle.

Do you have a philosophy for life?

The three most important things are: build a good team around you, work to be the best version of you and never give up.

Follow Jo Butterfield on Twitter @Jo_shuni

ALISON PATRICK, TRIATHLON

Alison Patrick hasn't been slow in making her mark. The 28-year-old from Dunfermline switched to triathlon from athletics in 2013 and in that short time has already become a British, European and world champion. She also won the Rio Paralympic test event last summer.

Patrick competes in the PT5 category for blind and visually impaired competitors. She and her guide swim 750m together, side-by-side tethered at the thigh, before completing a 20km bike ride on a tandem, then tether again with an elastic cord for the 5km run.

A recurrent Achilles tendon injury forced Patrick to call time on a successful athletics career as an 800m and 1500m runner during which she won an International Blind Sports Federation world title. She represented Scotland as an able-bodied competitor at the World Mountain Trophy in 2006.

Having dabbled in a handful of triathlons for fun, Patrick showed such budding promise that in her first full year in the sport – 2014 – she became world champion. Last year she added gold at European and British level to her trophy cabinet and took world silver.

Tell us a bit about your journey so far?

It is exciting because triathlon is still such a new sport for me. Winning the test event in Rio was fantastic because we got to see what the course is like.

Can you describe what it is like to be visually impaired?

My eye condition is albinism. I was born completely blind, but then got a little bit of sight which progressively improved until the age of seven. Albinism means I don't have any pigment and my eyes are sensitive to light. It is also why my skin and hair are so fair.

People often ask what I can see. With both eyes together I can read the top letter on an eye chart. The things I struggle with are depth and perception. Being sensitive to light I can't see much in bright sunlight.

I also have an eye condition where my eyes move from side-to-side. My brain tries to put together a picture the best it can because it doesn't know exactly what to focus on. Looking at you now I can't really see your eyes, only an outline. Most of the time I can recognise people from their walk.

When I think of Rio I …

Try to imagine the atmosphere on Copacabana Beach with everyone cheering us on. It is an exciting but scary prospect. I have done some big international races, but everyone tells you there is nothing that compares to the Paralympics. I almost don't know what to expect.

When we did the test event the atmosphere was incredible with so many people out on Copacabana Beach. That was only the test event so imagining what the Paralympics itself will be like is daunting.

Proudest moment to date?

Winning world gold in 2014. I didn't expect that to happen as soon in my triathlon career. I improved so much through that first year and even now all three disciplines – swim, cycle and run – are getting better. I feel I have potential to continue improving on what I've achieved so far.

I did some swimming as a junior, but was never that good. That was my weakest element, but this season I led the pack out. I was surprised but happy at that.

The bike was completely new to me but it is probably my favourite now. When you can't drive you never get that sensation of going fast. Going downhill on the bike at 50mph feels amazing.

What is the biggest adversity you have overcome?

As a runner I felt very independent. Now, doing triathlon, I need to rely on my guide for training. It has almost taken a little bit of independence away. I have had to learn that's OK and relying on other people isn't a weakness.

I have always been fiercely independent. I'm a qualified physiotherapist specialising in women's health and experienced a lot of prejudice at the start of my career. I've since given up my job to concentrate on triathlon full-time in the build-up to Rio.

Who is your sporting hero?

The people around me training hard and that paying off for them. My brother John, 30, is a great support and drives me everywhere. I even got him a little hat that says: "Road to Rio chauffeur."

Biggest misconceptions about para-sport?

In some sports there are many disability categories and I think that can be confusing.

I have experienced unfairness. People can cheat in their classifications. There has been a lot of talk about clean sport where people haven't taken drugs, but there have been instances of athletes exaggerating their disability to gain an advantage. That is frustrating.

When I'm not doing triathlon I can be found …

Hanging out with my nephews Oskar, one, and Marek, four.

Tell us something not many people know about you.

I like hedgehogs. My sister Ellen was given a toy hedgehog for Christmas when she was seven (and I was four) which I promptly stole off her. Ever since I have grown my collection of hedgehog-themed items – there is not a door in my house that doesn't have a hedgehog doorstop.

Sum up your ambition for Rio.

To deliver my best. I would love to win gold.

Follow Alison Patrick on Twitter @Ali_p87

LESLEY BALDWIN, SHOOTING

Lesley Baldwin has Rio firmly in her crosshairs. A former military policewoman from Blairgowrie, Perthshire, she took up shooting four years ago and has gone on to garner international success including a silver medal at the 2013 IPC Shooting European Championships.

Her journey to sport is one potholed with adversity. Baldwin, 37, joined the armed forces in 2000 as a military police officer. She spent time based in Germany and also served in Iraq. Then, in March 2004, while undergoing a combat fitness test, Baldwin injured her back.

A pulled muscle led to her developing a neurological condition called dystonia: a malfunction of the brain where the wrong signals can be sent to any part of the body. In Baldwin's case, it affected her left ankle seeing her leg twist painfully inwards.

With her police career put on hold, Baldwin spent three years at Headley Court in Surrey, a Ministry of Defence rehabilitation centre, where she underwent a series of operations, albeit sadly without success. Eight years ago, she agreed to have her left leg amputated below the knee.

To treat the dystonia, Baldwin underwent potentially life-threatening deep brain stimulation surgery in 2009. Doctors placed an electrical box inside her chest to send regular electrical pulses through wires to her brain in order to block or overwrite the faulty signals.

It was during her time at Headley Court that Baldwin first tried her hand at shooting and now competes in four disciplines: 10m air standing, 10m air prone, 50m prone and 50m three positions.

She won team bronze in the 50m rifle three positions competition at the 2014 IPC Shooting World Championships. Baldwin is the only Scot on the Great Britain disability shooting team.

Tell us a bit about your journey so far?

I had my amputation in 2007, but it wasn't until the end of 2010 that I began to use a prosthetic limb. Until then I was permanently in a wheelchair. Being able to walk again gave me such a confidence boost.

I'm now a full-time athlete and based between Stoke Mandeville, Bisley and Lilleshall. Blairgowrie is still home – my partner Kirsty and family are there – so there is a lot of driving most weeks.

The electrical box in my chest needs to be charged regularly – a bit like plugging in your iPhone. I need to do that at least once a fortnight. When the battery goes flat, I go a bit flat too. My coach can always tell when I need to recharge it because I get a bit moody and my shooting is poor.

When I think of Rio I …

Dream of medals. This would be my first Paralympics. Even when I was in the army as able-bodied I would never have imagined becoming a sportsperson.

We don't find out the selections until March. At the moment I have a 50/50 chance of making the team for Rio. Those are better odds than I was given for making a recovery from my injury, so I always have faith.

Proudest moment to date?

Winning a silver medal at the European championships.

Biggest adversity overcome?

An injury like this it isn't something you ever fully get over. This has been the biggest challenge of my life. To accept being disabled in order to move on was a massive process. I hit rock bottom because the military was my life.

As I recovered I was on so much medication I didn't know what day or month it was – even who my parents were. To get to this stage is incredible.

What has surprised you most?

Sometimes when I look back I find it hard to believe everything I have achieved. It still feels like it happened to a different person.

What would be the ultimate dream?

Gold. Always aim for the top.

When I'm not shooting I can be found …

Playing lawn bowls at Rattray Bowling Club in Blairgowrie. I'm the reigning ladies' club champion – it took me 15 years to achieve that goal so I was really pleased.

Sum up your sport in five words.

Tough. Dedicated. Hard work. Achievement.

The 2016 Paralympic Games take place in Rio from September 7-18. Thanks to the National Lottery and Scottish Disability Sport. The National Lottery funds 1,300 athletes so they can train full time and access world-class coaching facilities and medical support. Visit lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

Read more: our Hot List 2016 arts picks including David Bowie and Outlander's Richard Rankin