
Commenting on the announcement of Ottobock ambassador Samantha (Sammi) Kinghorn being selected to be part of the track and field British Paralympic Wheelchair Racing team heading to Rio, Phil Yates, Managing Director at Ottobock, said: “We are ecstatic that Sammi has been selected to represent GB in her discipline of Wheelchair Racing. She has again and again amazed us with her talent and tenacity. She is a true inspiration to other and we are privileged to have her as an ambassador.
“This will be her first time at the Paralympics but we have no doubt that she will achieve Rio glory. Congratulations on your selection Sammi, we will be cheering for you.”
Samantha Kinghorn was 14 when she was crushed by snow on her family’s farm near the Berwickshire village of Gordon. Her back was broken and the teenager spent six months at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow after being told she would never walk again.
But Kinghorn, now 20, has refused to let that life-changing moment define her. Samantha is now a young wheelchair racer who was among the first 27 athletes to be named for Team Scotland to compete at the Commonwealth Games back in 2014. Kinghorn is ranked among Europe’s leading wheelchair racers and continues to smash her personal best times.
Off the track Samantha uses an Ottobock carbon fibre wheelchair, the Voyager Evo. It’s lightweight, easily manoeuvrable and is comfortable due to its custom design. Because it’s all modular, it also means that sections are replaceable avoiding the need to get a whole new chair if any part is damaged. Sammi has therefore been able to put it thought its paces getting to and from her various competitions. It can also be tailored to suit personal style as well as lifestyle.
For more information on Ottobock’s range of innovative solutions that restore mobility please visit www.ottobock.co.uk or follow @ottobockuk