


Susan in her Scotland gear

Happier times for Susan at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Hi there,
It's reaching the end of the season, but I've got a couple of tournaments this month in Spain and France. But a big worry hanging over me is my precarious funding situation.
I've lost my GB money, but I'm hoping that Sportscotland is going to enable me to keep going as a full-time player. If I don't get any funding then I would have to find a job and do something new. But, hopefully, that won't happen.
I want to go on to try and make the London 2012 Olympics and then there is the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I feel I've still got a lot to give and a lot to achieve. But I do feel that my badminton future is out of my hands.
If Sportscotland does come good, then I know there will still be tough targets to meet. But that would be great - I wouldn't want it any other way.
This season has been frustrating. I feel I have played better than my results would suggest. Last month, we had the European Championships in Denmark and I reached my seeded position of a last 16 place in the women's singles and the Scottish team finished ninth - the same as two years ago.
The only slight disappointment was that we didn't manage to beat Russia and
get into the top eight. We lost 3-2.
One great recent development in Scotland is the arrival of a Chinese lad - Chen Qi - to help us with sparring. He comes from the same province as Rita (Yuan Gao) and he's initially over here for a month.
I practised with him for a first time last week and he's really good and we had some great rallies. He is better than me, but he is able to adjust his game.
Ideally, I would practise with another girl, but Chen can adapt and he is also good for the boys' singles players, and for the doubles. He really has freshened things up.
But, for me, it's fingers crossed for the next few weeks. My GB money runs out on May 25th - and I just hope that a Sportscotland deal works out. But I'm trying not to think about it too much - otherwise it would drive me mad.
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