Fashion: Judo stars Kimberley and Louise Renicks embrace their stylish side

Nine months on, we catch up with the stars as they prepare for international competitions that could pave the way to next summer's Olympics in Rio. Louise is based in Glasgow and Kimberley stays with their parents, Thomas and Agnes, in Coatbridge. When not training or competing, they work part-time as coaches in schools and clubs as well as giving motivational talks across the country.

Here they share their memories of that golden moment and their hopes for the future.

How would you describe your typical fashion style?

Louise: "I'm quite a plain, simple girl. I like to keep everything natural and I'm not one for taking risks with what I wear."

Kimberley: "Sporty, definitely."

Heels or trainers?

Louise: "I dress to suit the occasion and so probably spend most hours of the day in trainers but at the weekend I like sticking on a wee pair of boots. For special events, I wear high-heeled shoes - usually with a 6in or 8in heel."

Kimberley: "Trainers typically, but if I'm going for a night out I like to get my high heels on because I'm quite small. The biggest I've worn is a 4in heel. Louise wears far taller heels than me."

A dress or jeans?

Louise: "I do love to be girly and wear a nice dress if it suits the occasion. I like my skinny jeans for the weekends to get out of my tracksuits. Most days, though, I'm in my Scottish or GB tracksuit."

Kimberley: "I like dresses because I spend so much time in sportswear. I enjoy showing off my girly side. I'm more girly than my sister."

What did you think of the judo-inspired clothes on the fashion shoot?

Louise: "I liked them. There were one or two items my sister and I ended up fighting over. I'm used to being in my sports bra and shorts, but being in a skimpy top I felt strangely naked and a bit self-conscious. In a sporting environment I have different type of confidence."

Kimberley: "It was nice experimenting with different styles - but only if someone puts it together for me."

Take us back to winning gold in front of a home crowd at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Louise: "I have so many feelings from that moment. It was phenomenal. It felt like there was not a single person against you."

Kimberley: "Being one of the first to walk out to complete felt nerve-wracking and scary but winning my fight was such a proud moment."

Louise: "Kimberley won the first gold medal for Scotland, then Hannah Miley took gold in the pool, then I won the next gold. I watched Kimberley win her fight and step onto the podium to receive her medal, but left the arena before the national anthem was played to begin my own preparations.

"It's usually the British national anthem we hear so Glasgow was the first time we had heard the Scottish national anthem in our entire judo careers. I knew that would have been something different in my competition routine, so I went through the back and put my headphones in."

Kimberley: "My goal was to focus on my fight and win the first judo gold. I knew that the cycling final [for silver medal-winning Scottish para-cyclists Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston] was taking place in the velodrome right before I competed but I didn't know what result was. When I won, a reporter asked me: 'How does it feel to take Scotland's first gold?' I remember being shocked.

"I got selected for drug testing afterwards so I had to watch my sister fight on TV. The moment she took gold, it was everything we had hoped for - we just didn't expect Glasgow to love us that much."

Louise: "Watching footage of that day back again I always see different things I hadn't noticed before. I can't stop smiling when I watch it. Both of us believed we could win gold and wanted to be the sisters who did that together. We believed in each other.

"When I see myself I'm smiling all the time and wanting the crowd to embrace it. My sister is a wee bit nervous at first and doesn't quite know what to do. If I was having the worst day of my life, all I need to do is close my eyes and that feeling comes back to me."

What would it have been like if one of you had won gold and the other hadn't?

Louise: "We are training partners and have always said that, even if only one of us had won gold, it would still feel like we both had because we went through everything together. My gold is her gold - and her gold is my mine."

Kimberley: "Within our close family we always said that the dream was to win double gold. Outwith that, whenever people asked us, we simply said that if we performed well, we hoped we could take gold. In our heads and hearts, though, we knew could win gold."

Your hometown of Coatbridge was placed 15th in the medal table ahead of Cameroon, Pakistan, Ghana and Northern Ireland at one stage thanks to your double gold and Liam Davie who won a silver medal in the men's gymnastics team competition.

Louise: "Everywhere I have gone in my life, the opening statement I usually get from people is: 'Oh, You're from Coatbridge, that's Buckie [Buckfast] land'. Now I can say: 'Actually, do you know what else Coatbridge is famous for?'"

Kimberley: "Liam went to school with me but he was a bit younger so when I was in sixth year, he was in his first year. Going into the Athletes' Village, all three of us got our photograph taken together. At the end of the Games we got another photograph taken, this time with our medals. If Coatbridge was its own wee country it wouldn't have done too badly."

How has life changed since the Games?

Louise: "We do get recognised more. I was coming off the train recently and two guys stopped me and asked: 'Are you one of those Renicks sisters?' We had a wee giggle, they asked for my autograph and I did a Snapchat for them.

"My friends joke and say I'm a celebrity but I certainly don't think of myself that way. If anyone needs anything and I can help, then I will. It's hard to do everything, though, because you are trying to train, work and continue the dream to make it to the Olympics."

Kimberley: "If people see Louise and I together they know we're the Renicks sisters. One of the best changes has been seeing judo get more recognition. That has been fantastic."

What opportunities has it opened up?

Louise: "My dad has had me doing things for charity since I was 16. He strongly believes that you should do your bit and give back to your community. Now, having a Commonwealth title to my name, I think it is important to continue that.

"In terms of school visits Kimberley and I have covered near enough all of Glasgow and half of North Lanarkshire. I couldn't tell you the exact total but definitely several hundred schools. The most we have done is eight each in one day - 16 schools in total. We did that for a full week which was exhausting. I was doing my gym sessions at midnight to fit it all in."

Kimberley: "The school visits are a big thing for me because I want to inspire as many kids as possible and get them into sport."

What is the biggest adversity you have had to overcome?

Louise: "It is a rollercoaster being an athlete and there are times that your head does doubt your ability. Constantly trying to make sure that financially you have got enough money to go and compete can be stressful. It can also be hard to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind when the results perhaps aren't going your way. It's important to keep believing in yourself."

Kimberley: "I had a shoulder injury back in 2009 and not long before the Commonwealth Games I slightly hurt it again so I had to adapt my training to make sure it was 100% to compete in Glasgow."

Away from judo, what are your passions?

Louise: "I'm very family-orientated. My social life has always revolved around sport so even when I'm catching up with friends it is things like a yoga class, going out for walks or on an adventure weekend. I'm currently trying to organise a relaxing spa break."

Kimberley: "We play a little bit of rugby. My friend Angela is a singer and to chill out I like to go watch her perform."

What's your ultimate goal?

Louise: "I believe that if you put the work in then the results should take care of themselves. I want to be the best I can, keep breaking records and win medals. I want to go to European and world championships and compete at the Olympic Games.

"In the coming weeks we travel to Romania, Belarus and Hungary. Those are all competitions which count as points for Olympic qualification. My sister and I were reserves for London 2012 so the dream would be to make it to Rio next summer."

Kimberley: "I would like to qualify for the Olympics and get a medal. I'm still young enough to do another Olympic cycle after this because in 2020 I will only be 31 but I would love to make the team for 2016."

Kimberley and Louise Renicks are currently looking for sponsors to help fund their judo careers. For more information, please contact Greg McEwan at greg@materialmc.co.uk