PITREAVIE AAC star Bethany McAndrew says she’s “living the dream” after being selected for the Commonwealth Youth Games.

The talented 17-year-old was delighted to secure a seat on the plane to Nassau – her main goal for this year – but the modest teen said that it still came as a shock.

Although she insists anything from here on in is a bonus, McAndrew has dreams of following her hero – and fellow Pitreavie hurdler – Eilidh Doyle into competing at the highest level of senior athletics.

Bethany, who lives in Kelty, took up the sport five years ago while a pupil at Beath High School and has gone on to enjoy great success.

In 2016, she became the Scottish under-17 champion over the 80 metres hurdles and the Scottish under-20 champion in the 100m hurdles, while also winning the Scottish Schools 80m hurdles title, which saw her represent her country at the SIAB (Schools International Athletics Board) Schools International, finishing sixth.

During a successful indoor season in which she took 60m hurdles bronze at the England Athletics Under-20 Championships – her first year in the age group – she secured the qualifying standard for the Bahamas during a rarely-run indoor 100m hurdles.

She also came close to her PB into a strong headwind en-route to winning the East District Championships in May and, ahead of departing with Team Scotland tomorrow (Friday), she told Press Sport: “It has come around too quick; at the end of May the team was confirmed so there’s not been too much time.

“It was a big surprise. When I was competing to try and qualify I didn’t realise I’d run the qualifying time – I went home disappointed and it was the next morning that I realised I did get it!

“The Commonwealth Youth Games is massive; I’m terrified but so excited for the experience.

“I’ve never done anything like this before but it will prepare me for events like this in the future.

“I’m aiming for a final but I’m just over the moon to be selected. That was the target so anything else is just a bonus.”

Bethany continued: “When I first started in athletics, I never pictured I would get as far as this. I’m living the dream.

“It was in 2012 through Beath High School and I was selected for a Fife schools sports day. I did surprisingly well and, after that, I thought that to do so well having never done it or practised before, and after really enjoying it, I’d see what comes of it.

“I don’t realise sometimes quite what I’ve achieved. I always aim to do my best and I’m quite modest, but I’m proud of myself.”

While she doesn’t want to look too far into the future, Bethany admits that following 2014 Commonwealth silver medallist and 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Doyle into the biggest stages of sport does feature in her ambitions.

She added: “It’s taken me this far without looking too far forward but I’d love to compete at the senior Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympics. Eilidh has done it; it has been amazing watching her compete in a Pitreavie vest and, as a fellow hurdler, she’s definitely my biggest inspiration.”

Bethany is one of 11 athletes that will compete for Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games, which begin tomorrow (Tuesday) and finish on Sunday July 23.