I know I can win in Beijing

Fachie targets medal glory at Paralympics

By Sean Wallace

Published:

MEDAL TARGET: Paralympic sprinter Neil Fachie.

IN THE biggest race of his life so far, Aberdeen’s Neil Fachie will hear the rising roar of the 90,000 crowd.

But as he crouches down to the blocks at the imposing Olympic Stadium, the track will be a blur.

Suffering from night blindness, Neil has only 8-10% of normal vision and will run full pelt in virtual darkness.

But the 24-year-old is determined to make years of sacrifice pay off by claiming a Paralympic medal in Beijing.

Neil said: “The night blindness would never stop me running, and being in Beijing means absolutely everything to me.

“Competing at this level, in front of more than 90,000 people, is something you can only dream of.

“When you are training in winter in the driving rain or snow, competing at the Paralympics seems so far off.

“If I could make the final, and even claim a medal, it would be the culmination of 14 years of hard work.

“It would be extra special because my family are going to China to cheer me on.”

The Aberdeen AAC athlete has lived with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) since birth.

Under normal circumstances, what fully sighted people see over 60m, Neil is able to see at just 2m.

And the only concession he makes to his condition, is running harder at the end of a race.

“I have been accused in the past of slowing down before the finishing line,” he said.

“That is because I cannot really see the line, although I was never conscious of going slower.

“I have had to train myself to run that extra bit so that I am still going full out when the finish comes.

“It is difficult to describe night blindness because I have always been this way.

“It can be difficult at a floodlit meet if the lights are not strong, or when it has been raining and the sun shines off the water.

“There have been a few rare times when I have come round the corner in the 200m and lost track of where I am.

“But generally I am fine and it should be okay with the fantastic facilities at Beijing.”

A physics graduate from Aberdeen University, Neil qualified for the Paralympics with just one week left.

He ran his quickest 100m and 200m times of 11.42sec and 22.97sec respectively at Nottingham to secure his ticket to China.

And he admits there was a gnawing dread his Paralympic dream could be over.

“Making the qualifying time with so little time to spare was cutting it fine,” he said.

“There was a fear I would not make Beijing.

“As each week passed there was that growing doubt that I might not make it.

“It was looking shaky for a while and it was such a relief to finally get the time required to let me go to China.

“If I had not qualified it would have been such a blow because the season would be virtually over.

“There is still 2012, so it would have been a knock, but it certainly wouldn’t have finished me off.”

Registered as a visually impaired runner in the T13 category Neil will begin his Games in the 100m on Wednesday, September 10.

He will then race in the 200m on September 15, but he faces stiff competition, including Ireland’s world record holder Jason Smyth.

“My category has become so tough over the last year and the times are dropping,” he said.

“Even making the finals could be a big ask, but I am more than capable of doing that.

“Smyth is ahead of everyone else and has broken the world record, but outside of that everyone else is relatively even.

“In Beijing the runners are so close the difference between winning a medal and coming last in the final will come down to a fraction of a second.

“I know I have it in me to get a medal.”

The Paralympics will begin just two weeks after the closing Olympic ceremony in Beijing.

The Chinese will provide state-of-the-art facilities and have promised huge crowds for the events.

“I have seen images of the Olympic Stadium and it looks fantastic,” added Neil.

“For the last year I have been virtually training at a building site at the old Chris Anderson Stadium in Aberdeen.

“Beijing will be so far removed from that.

“Organisers have assured us there will be capacity crowds of more than 90,000 for the Paralympics.

“To race in font of so many people may be a little daunting as it is something I have never experienced before.

“Nearly 15 years – with up to 25 training sessions a week – will come down to these races. But I am sure I will rise to the occasion.”