Inverness Harriers say their first ever Olympian is cause for celebration
INVERNESS Harriers president Charlie Forbes says Megan Keith competing at the Olympics will be a celebration for everyone who has ever been associated with the club.
For the first time since the club was established in 1947, one of their athletes will be taking part on the biggest stage of them all.
Members of the club are set to come together on Friday night at Fairways to hold a special party to watch Keith compete in the 10,000 metres when she competes at 7.55pm.
Forbes says it has been a long wait for Inverness Harriers to produce an athlete that is good enough to compete at the Olympics.
He says the fact that very few athletics clubs produce Olympians, it is something that deserves to be celebrated and will be remembered for years to come.
“We are going to celebrate this as it is fantastic to have someone competing at the Olympics,” said Forbes.
“For Inverness Harriers to produce its first Olympian is something worth celebrating.
“If you analyse whatever has been done at other athletics clubs, not many produce Olympic athletes. We look at this as a celebration of over 75 years of Inverness Harriers.”
Inverness Harriers has had a history of training athletes which have gone on to compete at Commonwealth Games as well as at European Championships and international events at various age groups.
Keith has undoubtedly earned the biggest success of any Inverness Harriers athlete, most notably winning bronze in the 10,000 metres in the European Championship in June. She also competed in the World Championship in Hungary last year.
Forbes says it is always difficult to judge if a youngster is good enough to become an Olympian, but Keith’s dedication is an inspiration to everyone.
“We have produced athletes who have competed at international competitions at various age groups such as Jayne Barnetson, Jamie Bowie, Lesley Clarkson and Kirsty Law.
“Then Megan comes along and it was totally unexpected. “When you think she is running the 10,000 metres at Paris, she only ran her first 10,000 metres last year, It is phenomenal when you just speak about it.
“You never know when someone is young if they are good enough to become an Olympian. She came all of a sudden when she was younger and she wasn’t continuously at the club when she was younger as she was involved in other things.
She was a great hill runner as was her dad Alec, and ran in the cross country races.
“It was obvious then that she had some speed about her. She has blown everyone away that she has made the Olympic Games.”
Forbes said Keith is a modest individual who does not seek the limelight and prefers to get on with the job in hand.
But he believes she is still only at the start of her athletics career and will go on to become one of the great athletes from the Highlands.
“When you get involved in coaching, you always want to see one of your athletes competing at the Olympic Games.
“The Olympics has always been the one that all athletes aspire to get to.
“We always wondered who would be the first athlete from Inverness Harriers that would make it to the Olympic Games. Megan is a popular person, she is really laid back about everything, she is not one who seeks stardom. She is someone who looks to do her business. Megan is going to be a star who will become well renowned up here.”
