Glasgow 2014
success S
Shooting for
Glasgow dentist June McNeill talks about her experiences as a member of Team Scotland during this summer’s Commonwealth Games
ince the age of ı0, when her primary school teacher urged her to join the local netball team, June McNeill has been on the fast-track to success.
June, who is an associate dentist at Martin
Dental Care in Shawlands, has represented Scotland at under-ı5, under-ı7 and even captained the under-2ıs at the World Youth Championships in the Cook Islands in 2009. Now an established member of the senior side, June was selected to be part of the netball team – nicknamed ‘Scot- tish Thistles’ – that competed in the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The team narrowly missed out on their
goal of finishing in the top eight, as they finished the competition in ninth place. After an opening win over St Lucia on 25 July, June and her teammates suffered defeats by eventual silver medallists New Zealand, bronze medallists Jamaica, and Malawi who finished fifth overall. They then faced Northern Ireland in
their last group game and lost a tight game 32-37 and consigning them to a play-off for ninth and ı0th place. However, the Thistles raised their game and recorded a convincing 46-28 victory in the play-off against Trinidad and Tobago to claim ninth place.
Despite the mixed results on the court,
June explained that the whole experience was amazing. She said: “I think the games was a massive success from start to finish. We unfortunately didn’t finish at the posi- tion we wanted to – we were aiming for top eight and we finished in ninth place. But, overall, we were pretty happy with our performance. “Everything about the experience, the
buzz about Glasgow, the support from the home crowd was just amazing. I don’t think it could have been bettered, it was one of the best games that there has been and it certainly was from our point of view.” And, as expected, the home support
provided a great boost for the team. She said: “Having the home support was just a bonus for us. The crowd definitely lifted us at times and we perhaps needed to be lifted. So that was great, knowing that all our families and friends were in the crowd supporting us.” If the reception at the matches provided
a lift for the girls, June explained that the experience of walking out at Celtic Park for the opening ceremony was something else entirely. She said: “Walking into the stadium
itself was probably one of the most overwhelming experiences I’ve ever encountered. The noise from the crowd and just the amount of people that were there and knowing how many people were watching the ceremony on TV, was just fantastic. “Me and a few of the other girls were
actually caught taking a selfie live on television (above). There was a massive Facebook buzz after that of everybody putting it up and sharing the pictures from the TV. So it was just great.” Looking to the future, the initial goal
for June and her teammates is the World Championships in Sydney next year, although she has one eye on the next Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in 20ı8. “I could never have expected how good
it was going to be,” said June. “The friends that we have made with the other athletes from Team Scotland, it has just been phenomenal. “I would love more than anything to be
involved in another multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games. So, if my body allows it, I’ll probably hang around until the next one.”
Scottish Dental magazine 35
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