For Kirkcaldy Paralympian Ben Sandilands running is in the blood.
The 21-year-old’s parents and siblings are avid runners and cyclists. Sister Katie, 17, has won her fair share of medals on the track.
And Ben’s great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, both George Sandilands, were also competitive runners.
Ben was only nine years old when his talent was spotted at a run in Beveridge Park near where he lives.
When his natural talent was spotted
The family were at the annual Boxing Day handicap race organised by Fife Athletics Club.
Mum Claire, 49, says: “That’s when we began to realise he had a natural talent.
“He came round that one lap and I was thinking Ben’s already here, that’s incredible. Somebody from Fife AC spotted him. He approached us and said Ben should join [coach] Steve Doig’s group.
“And he never looked back.”
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Ben will compete in the 1,500m in the Paralympics, which begin in Paris on Wednesday.
He will be in the T20 class for those with intellectual impairment as he has autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place in the same venues as the Olympics.
Family support in the Stade de France
Ben’s Team GB athletics teammates include Hannah Cockroft, Dan Greaves and Jonnie Peacock.
Claire, Ben’s dad Rory, 47, his siblings Jake,19, and Katie, and his grandparents Tony and Jenny Sandilands will be in the Stade de France to cheer him on in his race on September 6.
Claire says: “We’re delighted for Ben, super proud.”
Ben all but secured his selection for Team GB when he won the Para Athletics World Championships in the same arena in Paris last year. He broke his European T20 1,500m record then with a time of 3 minutes 42.52 seconds.
Initially he was overwhelmed by the expectation of having to do the same in front of a far, far larger crowd.
But now he feels “nervous excited”. He says: “I’ve got two races coming up so I’m focusing on them first and then I’ll focus on the Paralympics.
“I won’t put too much pressure on myself.”
Claire says Ben has put his early worries about the pressure aside. “He’s come to terms with it now, he’s just going to run his race. The biggest accolade is to get there.”
Ben says his family’s support and shared love of lacing up their trainers has helped him excel in the sport.
Claire and Rory say they have enabled Ben to pursue his talent but credit the dedication of Fife AC coach Steve Doig for developing it.
Former town planner Claire and Rory, who works in finance, excelled at sport in their youth. Claire did interschool running and athletics and Rory played tennis for Scotland.
So they encouraged an active lifestyle in their children, with activities also including rugby, swimming, mountain-biking and netball.
After that fateful Boxing Day race, when he sped round the circuit, Ben began to focus his energy on running.
‘I can’t keep up with him on a bike!’
Claire says: “I used to go out on my bike with Ben as he ran. I can’t keep up with him even on a bike now!”
Both Rory and Claire are members of the Kirkcaldy Wizards running club and the family do sometimes run together.
But Rory quips: “Not with him [Ben], I’d need a bike!
“Katie and I go out sometimes. She’s much faster than me but I can keep up.”
Sometimes the family will do Parkrun together, with even Logie the dog joining in.
Rory says: “Running is very much part of our lives; it has to be.”
Ben trains every day except Sundays, twice on Thursdays.
That includes three or four times a week on the track at Pitreavie Athletics Centre in Dunfermline with Steve’s group. He competes around the UK.
And his parents take him wherever he needs to be.
Dedication, commitment and a top coach
Rory says: “Claire has driven to Durham on a Monday night for a 400m run.
“That’s two or three hours down there, running for two minutes and then back again!”
Ben’s talent, says Rory, has been built by dedication and commitment – both his own and that of his supporters.
“You can have all the talent in the world but you have to have dedication.
“We’ve supported that but the real driver is Steve Doig, his coach.
“Training is never cancelled, regardless of the weather.
“He is so committed and because he’s there all the time, everyone in his group is there all the time. There’s a great bond between them all.”
Steve was named coach of the year in the Scottish Sports Awards in December.
He also trains reigning Paralympic champion in the T20 1,500m, Owen Miller MBE.
For Ben, a horticulture student at SRUC Elmwood, it’s his passion for the sport that drives him.
It’s where he excels and his training gives him the routine he needs in his life.
He says: “I just love running.”
Claire says: “Running gives him confidence and he enjoys it.
“He enjoys it so much that he forgets any worries.”
Ben’s race, the T20 1,500m men’s final, is due to start at 9.43am on Friday September 6 (UK time).
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