Scotland’s only competitor at this event, Mary flew the flag high in Brazil last week, coming home from the Brazilian Paralympic Centre with two medals in the SL4 women’s singles and SL3-SU5 women’s doubles.
Prior to the competition Mary was part of the first training camp for players, competing, sharing ideas and sparring with new competitors.
With limited numbers in the women’s SU5 event it was decided that SL4 and SU5 women’s singles events would be a joint event. With Mary now playing against a higher class it proved too difficult to get past the SU5 Japanese athletes in the group. Mary came third in her group and was out of the SU5/ SL4 competition, however having beaten Brazil’s SL4 Maria Rayane Lucia (21-8, 21-1) in her group, Mary came out in one of the highest positions of the SL4 category which set her up for a singles silver medal event with SL4 Danielle De Araujo of Brazil. In a convincing two-set score line of 21-8, 21-11 Mary secured the highest medal available for SL4 women’s singles in their category, silver.
Mary’s second medal came in the shape of doubles with her Peruvian partner Jenny Huaranga. The seconds seeds were up against some tough competition with the strong Japanese SU5 women in this category. In the group stages our pair came second with an excellent win over Kaede Kameyama (Japan) and Maraisa Santos (Brazil) in a three-set thriller 21-23, 21-10, 21-10, but lost out to another Japan-Brazil pairing of Abinaecia Da Silva/ Mamiko Toyoda, 9-21, 5-21, securing them a place in the semi-finals. Here was where the journey ended for the pair who lost out to Japan’s Noriko Ito Akiko Sugino 9-21, 8-21.
Finally, in the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles Mary, playing with Brazils Rogerio De Oliveira, was pipped in the quarter finals v Japans Toshiaki Suenaga and Akiko Sugino 10-21, 8-21. Reaching this stage was thanks to a superb win in the group stages against another strong Japanese pairing of Taku Hiroi and Kaede Kameyama 21-13, 23-21.
Qualification for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics has been outlined and will start this January, Mary is currently GB’s only SL4 woman competing on the international stage and is looking forward to the process of hopefully qualifying for the first Paralympics to involve Para-Badminton.
‘I continue to prepare and work hard in the hope I may qualify for Tokyo 2020. My next tournament is in Japan in six weeks’ time. Thank you for the support from Badminton Scotland and my coaches Kaity Hall and Sarah Bok. Also for the financial support from Path to Success, QARANC, Archers Hall and Crombies Butchers of Edinburgh.’