As someone who once found elite athlete's "sad" because they spent the entirety of their time training and "would never want to do that", it's a little ironic how I am now dedicating my life to becoming a Champion. After 11 years of competitive sport I have finally found something rewarding and completely enjoyable, and I definitely do not find it "sad" that I now want to do triathlon for as long as I can!

Singing nursery rhymes in a jacuzzi probably isn't the most common way to get introduced to sport but it's where I began! At 3 years old I attended lessons in Dundee where we sang songs as a way to build our confidence in the water, and I needed it. I was so scared of putting my head under the water but after a quick sing song of "If you're happy and you know it put your face in the water" things swiftly changed. I steadily progressed through my swimming lessons and by the time I had moved to Milton of Campsie I was a fairly decent swimmer.

At the age of 5, I moved to Milton of Campsie with my Mum and Dad and younger sister, Holly. Being the ‘creative and musical one' Holly never really enjoyed sport and ‘retired' at the age of 11. However she does sometimes consider taking it back up after I win money in a race or get free kit! I began attending Craighead Primary School and although not knowing anyone made plenty of new friends, some of whom I am still friends with today.

At 7 years old I joined Scotia ASC and to this day I am still a member. My preferred stroke was backstroke however I enjoyed front crawl too. I detested fly and breaststroke and I still don't think I've improved at them much! My first medal came a couple of years later at a small graded meet in the mixed relay event. This was a fun event at the end of a competition where each swim club entered a team consisting of two boys and two girls who would each swim 50mts. Medals were awarded to first 6 finishers. In this particular competition 7 clubs had submitted a team; one club was going home without a medal. We swam our hardest and shouted as loud as we could to encourage our team mates but to be frank we were absolutely rubbish and came 7th. However a dodgy change over from the 3rd placed team meant we were promoted to 6th and I received my first ever medal! I didn't care how I'd won it, I was ecstatic!

Most weekends I would be driven to another competition in another remote pool somewhere in Scotland. The highlight of my swimming career came when I was twelve and won third in the Scottish Schools 50mt backcrawl; however this was as far as I got. Other girls began to grow and I stayed very small and skinny, not the best build for swimming! As the other girls began to get quicker I stayed the same and because of this I began contemplating giving swimming up. Maybe this proves just how important winning is to me? Even though I may have been setting PB's it wasn't enough. I wanted to win.

During primary school I also competed in a few cross country events just for fun. I never trained but never the less almost always came away with a medal. If only it was that easy nowadays! It was during one of these cross country events where a PE teacher, Lee Vernett, suggested I try an aquathlon. Looking back I am so glad I met Lee. If she hadn't introduced me to multi-sport chances are I would never have competed in a triathlon and would have missed out on all the fantastic opportunities I have been presented with so far.

My first aquathlon was in Edinburgh and was a brilliant day. Instead of being stuck in a hot sweaty swimming pool all day I was outside enjoying the best of the Scottish weather. It was brilliant doing something so different for a change. And the fact that I won may have had something to do with enjoying it so much as well! I was completely new to the sport and it showed. When everyone else rushed through transition I was still tying my laces and contemplating whether I would need the water bottle and banana that I had placed next to my trainers! Despite this I came out on top and was luckily talent ID'd by a member of the triathlon scotland staff who invited me to a training camp with the Scottish squad.

My first triathlon was the Scottish Schools Champs, also in Edinburgh however it wasn't so much fun. This time I did have elastic laces however was in possession of a heavy mountain bike and when you are cycling up Arthur's Seat (the location of the 2007 European Duathlon Championships) a heavy bike is the last thing you will need...I got lost in the swim (yes you're right-I got lost in a lane swim), was almost stationary at points on the cycle and howled my way through the run. However, I did come third. The fact that there were only three people in my age group I usually like to miss out!

After this event which could only be described as disastrous I vowed never to do a triathlon again. That didn't last long did it??

I started taking triathlon more seriously from the age of 14 and felt like I ‘had made it' when I won the British Inter Regional Championships from nowhere. Compared to events I compete in now it is a relatively small event, yet back then it had been like I had won the Olympics! What made the win even sweeter was Scotland winning the overall team prize ahead of our rivals. Even though the trophy closely resembled a shark fin I was over the moon and the certificate I received still hangs proudly on my wall. This was really where I knew I wanted to do triathlon for a very long time....

Bigger competitions now loomed on the horizon and I loved every minute of stepping up to the mark. Winning the British Youth Triathlon Championships in 2005 was a fantastic experience as was winning the European Youth Relay Champs. 2006 was almost as successful a year with me retaining my British Triathlon Champion title and adding the British Duathlon Championship title too. I was thrilled at having these two titles but I had lost my European title and I wanted it back!

2007 was my first year competing as a junior and my Highers year. Fitting study and training in was going to be tough however I was up for the challenge. My first race of the season was my debut against Elite Level Seniors and it went superbly despite being slap bang in the middle of my Highers. I finished third in the Corus sprint triathlon at Strathclyde, loving the support from my home crowd! This set me up well for the European Junior Triathlon Champs where I also finished third. I was stunned at winning a medal here- it had never been an aim! This performance qualified me for the World Championships where unfortunately I finished 7th, a very disappointing result for me! However that summer I had plenty to be happy about after getting 4 A's and a C in my Highers. I would definitely be able to go to University and it took a lot of pressure off my shoulders.

2008 has been a fantastic year so far...My final year in school was so much fun and a big thank you to my school for letting me go part time (although I do believe by the end of the year I was maybe taking advantage a little!!) As for triathlon, my first race was the Europeans and despite aiming for Gold I could only manage silver. Although this is only because of my inability to stay on my feet in wet conditions! The World Championships came as a bit of a shock to me, hence the tears on the finish line! I had never expected to win gold and crossing the line in first is indescribable.

However, despite all this I still want more and with London 2012 approaching it's not hard to guess what I want to do next!