NATHAN MacQUEEN is aiming at a different target. The West Lothian archer was named earlier this year in the British squad for this summer’s Paralympics, his second call-up after taking part at the Rio Games five years ago.
It was his first ever major international competition and a ninth-place finish after being knocked out in the last 16 sounds like a decent return.
MacQueen, though, had travelled to Brazil with a higher expectation and came home disappointed.
“I was very fresh-faced when I went to Rio,” recalls the 29-year-old. “It was only my third international event ever.
“Most people go to a world championship first but the Paralympics was my first ever major competition.
“The stuff that goes on around it wasn’t hard to deal with and it was fascinating. But it was a lot to get your head around. It’s not something you get to do very often in life.
“Ultimately the biggest lesson I took from Rio was how to handle disappointment, as I had hoped to have done a lot better than I did.
“I went out and shot really well in my first match and then in the second one it didn’t go so well. That almost ruined my whole Olympic experience and I didn’t take it well at all. So that’s something I’ve learned.
“I’ve also learned to temper my excitement as well. I had shot really well in the first match so thought it would be a case of just doing the same in the afternoon. So I got ahead of myself a little bit and came to regret it.”
Five years on, he believes he is in a far stronger place heading to Tokyo and a podium place is a must.
“It’s a bit surreal but I’m buzzing to be going back to another Paralympics. And I want to get a medal this time. I’m a lot better than I was five years ago so I want to come home with a medal.
“There’s probably more of an expectation that I need to deliver this time. Not in a bad way. I just have more self-belief and more ability. I like to think I know what I’m doing now!”
He is no longer just doing it for himself now, with son Casey born three years ago and already taking a firm interest in daddy’s job.
“I’m trying to be a full-time athlete and a full-time dad as well, it’s not easy! But he’s at a great age and chats away all the time. Some of the things he comes up with you’re left thinking, ‘where did he learn that?!’
“He knows what I do now which is really cute. I let him watch a video of me shooting at an international competition a few months ago and he said, “wow daddy, you’re really good!” And then he said the same thing about everyone.
“He keeps saying he wants to try archery but I’m not sure that’s a good idea at this age! But he and my wife are my motivation.
“Winning a medal would be amazing but having my son be able to say to his wee pal at nursery or at school that his daddy is a Paralympic champion that’s what it’s all about for me.”
There is no doubting MacQueen’s commitment, regularly making the 10-hour round trip to the national training centre in Shropshire all through lockdown.
“I’ve been lucky as I got an elite sports exemption so I was able to still travel down to training. I go down every second week, train Monday to Thursday and then am home for nine days and back again. It’s quite a lot.
“My wife is very understanding. She has friends whose husbands work offshore or are in the army and are away all the time so this isn’t too bad in comparison.
“It takes five hours to get there although thankfully the roads were a bit quieter at the start of lockdown. In the past if I wasn’t past Preston by 1pm I was cream crackered for getting through it. But now you can leave just about any time and be okay.”
A promising youth rugby player on the books of Glasgow Warriors, MacQueen’s life was turned upside down following a motorbike accident that left him paralysed aged 17.
Twelve years later, however, and the Addiewell athlete is philosophical about the hand life has dealt him.
“It’s something that happened a long time ago and there’s not much I can do about it now. If it hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have met my wife or had my son.
“And I definitely wouldn’t be doing this. You have to look at the positives that came out of something negative. I feel very lucky in a lot of regards.”
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