THE waiting game is over for wheelchair racer Samantha Kinghorn as her place in the Paralympics GB team for Rio 2016 was confirmed last week.
Although the tenterhooks lasted a tad longer than the 20-year-old Scot – one of the Sunday Herald's Six to Follow to Rio – perhaps would have liked.
"I was travelling home from a photo shoot in London and missed the first phone call because I was on the plane," she laughed. "I had to wait until quite a bit later until my turn came round again.
"That was nerve-wracking and quite scary because I knew they were phoning people to let them know if they were in the team and also if they hadn't made it. You don't want to get your hopes up."
Back at the family farm near the Berwickshire village of Gordon, her father Neill had the bubbly on ice to toast her landmark achievement alongside Kinghorn's mother Elaine and boyfriend Connor.
Then it was straight to bed in preparation for a tough training with her coach Ian Mirfin.
Kinghorn's mobile phone has pinged constantly in recent days with text messages and social media alerts as family, friends and fans clamoured to pass on their congratulations.
She will be in action at Scottish Athletics National Championships in Grangemouth on August 14 and then again a week later at the Godiva Classic in Coventry.
Kinghorn will make her Paralympic debut this September competing in the T53 100m, 400m and 800m. "It is a surreal feeling to finally be able to say I'm going to Rio. I can't wait."
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