Name: Rebecca Reid
Age: 26
Sport: Badminton
I started playing badminton at the age of eight and have played ever since.
As a junior I played primarily for enjoyment, and it was a great way to meet new people. As I’ve developed as a player I now look forward to pushing myself to see how much I can achieve.
In 2015 I had a severe Crohn’s disease flare up and went from being very active to not being able to even step on a court.
That was very difficult as I didn’t know if I’d be able to continue playing, and I count myself incredibly lucky that I have been able to build myself up and get back to competing at the level I currently am.
Besides the obvious health benefits of exercise, being active also helps keep my condition in remission.
The unpredictably of the condition can be extremely frustrating and having to adapt or even miss training sessions can at first seem like backwards steps, but in the long term you need to be in tune with your body and know when to push it or pull back and let it recover.
Being an athlete with Crohn’s disease certainly has its challenges and it’s something that I have to manage, but badminton gives me something to focus on and having goals to work towards encourages me to keep going.
I find that training and competing, along with the social element of sport, is great for mental health too.
I am constantly motivated by the high level of performance so many athletes in Orkney are reaching within their chosen sport. They remind me that we don’t need to be held back just because we live on an island.
It would be amazing if I could encourage young people in Orkney, especially junior lasses, to strive to progress in sport by showcasing the opportunities out there and the benefits from being involved in sport.
As for me, this past year has been very rewarding. The biggest surprise and honour was being selected to represent Scotland in ladies singles and doubles at a 4 nations team event in Ireland where we took home gold in our group.
I’ve always been keen to train on court, but last year I got into Strength and Conditioning training through the introductory group sessions run by Picky. This gave me the confidence and knowledge to incorporate S&C into my own training plans, and I find the S&C Gym in Picky really well equipped.
Within the sessions, plyometric exercises, in particular, have been a great way to improve power on the badminton court.
The Picky sponsorship has been great for my training. Besides having access to court facilities and the gym, receiving sponsorship has allowed me to put the cost of my ActiveLife membership towards attending National tournaments where I can experience high level competition.
This is integral to improving my tactical awareness in game scenarios which is one area I plan to improve this coming year.