A Glasgow Athletics club is firmly focused on the city's 2014 Commonwealth Games – and three of its top wheelchair athletes are determined to qualify.

Training has already begun at Red Star Athletics, with the thought of competing in front of a home crowd adding fire to the athletes' competitive flame.

Ian Mirfin, 53, who co-founded the East End club with his wife Janice Eaglesham, also 53, said having the Games on their doorstep is a big positive.

He said: "Being able to compete in front of family and friends and get along to events in numbers is a major positive. The pride and expectation is that Scotland will do well.

"The athletics track is going to be at Hampden Park and it is a great stadium. Opportunities to compete in front of huge crowds don't come along very often."

The Cambuslang couple founded the club in 1990 to offer training in all para-athletics events including track and field, wheelchair events and RaceRunning – a sport for people with cerebral palsy. The club is based at the Healthy Living Centre in Dennistoun, where it trains twice a week. Its 70 members range in age from four years old to people in their 60s with congenital or acquired disabilities – and there are many elite athletes in their midst.

Vying for places in the wheelchair 1500m event at Glasgow 2014 are Meggan Dawson-Farrell, 19, Colette Martin, 18, and Samantha Kinghorn, 16. Meggan, from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, has spina bifida and hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an abnormal amount of fluid in the brain cavities. This year she competed in the London Marathon for the first time and broke the Scottish record, as well as coming in as second female Briton in a time of 2.22.55hr.

Meggan said: "I am very hopeful for selection into the Scottish Commonwealth squad as I have consistently hit well under the qualifying time of 4.30 and in Switzerland this year I was pushing 4.12.

"It would be an honour and an amazing experience to know the whole of Scotland is rooting for me. I just hope when the selection window opens in April that I hit the times and secure myself a place in the team.

"The 1500m is a very exciting event for crowds and athletes. There are a lot of tactics involved during the almost four laps of the track. In the beginning you need a sprint start to get in and then maintain your position in the top pack, and having the nerve and kick at the end to try to pull away and be one of the first over the finish line.

"After the Commonwealth Games I hope that everyone, especially young disabled people, realises you can achieve your sporting goals despite a disability.

"People will see the person and not the disability, and perhaps inclusion into mainstream sports will be easier for all."

Colette, from Motherwell, who has spina bifida, has won four gold medals for Scotland in the UK School Games since 2007. She said: "I think it will be amazing; the home crowd being behind you because it is your country. But it is scary because it is such a big event and all the top athletes will be there."

Glasgow 2014's integrated programme will include all elite athletes as full members of their national teams. Ian said: "On the one hand, integration is fantastic. But, on the other, there will be some people who won't be able to compete because their event won't be on the programme.

"However, there is no way logistically there could be a full programme for people with disabilities. It would make it too unmanageable."

David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014's chief executive, said: "I'm delighted that, in delivering 17 sports over 11 days, we have been able to increase our commitments to competition and medal opportunities by offering greater opportunities for para-sport athletes."

Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, added: "It is tremendous news that Glasgow will host more para-sport events than any other previous Games."

And Ian is hopeful that Glasgow 2014 will leave a lasting legacy for para-sports in the city: "We will get more enquiries from people wanting to take up the sport and, if it raises awareness, that can only be a good thing."

matty.sutton@ eveningtimes.co.uk

GLASGOW's 2014 Commonwealth Games promise to be the biggest para-sport Games ever.

With 17 different para-events – which will see athletes compete alongside their able-bodied opponents at the top venues – all elite competitors will be able to earn medals for their country.

MATTY SUTTON met the co-founder of disabled sports club Red Star Athletics and to some of their 2014 hopefuls to find out their thoughts and their aspirations for the Glasgow Games