Six months after being mugged in Rio, Scottish cyclist Neil Fachie wants to create some “positive news” at the Paralympics in Paris.
Fachie, wife Lora and her pilot Corrine Hall had their silver medals and other possessions stolen in March as they returned to their hotel on the opening day of the Para-cycling Track World Championships.
The Aberdonian, who suffers from the congenital eye condition retinitis pigmentosa, insists the incident “is in the past now” and that he and Lora – who is also competing – are fully focused on making their mark in France.
“It was my first time being mugged abroad but it happens so not ideal but the fact we managed to get our selection for the Paralympics has made up for it,” Fachie told BBC Scotland.
“We are here, it is in the past now and certainly it is something I am sure Lora and Corrine are going to want to put to bed here.
“I want to make the most of these competitions and not dwell on any negatives that do come about because they are irrelevancies when I look back on my cycling career.
“It was just something that happened along the way, the medals and things are what I am going to remember, not that, so let’s make a few more memories this time if we can and hopefully that involves a gold medal as well.
“It would be nice to show off those medals, put it on social media and have positive news rather than tweeting about muggings and things, which aren’t really what I am all about.”
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The two Paralympic gold medals Fachie has are the undoubted highlights in what has been a glittering cycling career.
He and pilot Matt Rotherham are being strongly backed to the top the podium in Paris.
“We go in as favourites, there is no denying that,” he explained. “We are reigning world champions, we have got the world record, we are defending Paralympic champions, so everyone is going to be looking to us.
“There is one unique thing at these Games they have not done before, which we have done in world championships recently. We have to do a qualifying ride and a final instead of just one ride.
“That does change the dynamic of the event quite a bit but we have been successful with that change. It makes it more challenging, you have got to deliver twice now instead of just once.
“But we are in a good place, there is no reason why we can’t win gold other than our rivals are planning to come and beat us and are pretty strong and I am sure will do a good job.”
And the 40-year-old Scot, who is competing at his fifth Paralympics, has warned rivals he has no plans to permanently put his bike away any time soon.
“I am going to carry on, but there is no getting away from the fact I am 40, and in sporting terms that does appear to be pretty much ancient but I am still going fast, I am still enjoying it so I will probably be keen to keep going for a bit,” he added.
“Four years is a long time, though, and who knows whether I make it to Los Angeles [for the 2028 Paralympics] as a 44-year-old.
“I am considering what the future holds away from sport because at some point it is going to happen and I have got a mortgage to pay so I am going to have to do something but at this stage I am going to keep going and see what happens and when the time is right I am sure I will know.”
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