CLYDEBANK Commonwealth Games medal hopeful Alison Rodger is hoping for homecoming glory as she returns from south of the border to compete in this month’s showpiece.

Originally from Clydebank, shot putter Alison is now based in Leicester and has had to overcome hurdle after hurdle to take part in this summer’s Games.

The 29-year-old has battled through a season of injury, which had previously blighted her Olympic potential, to take her place in a Scotland team featuring the likes of swimmer Hannah Miley and runner Eilidh Child.

She said: “My goal at the start of the season was to qualify for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and now I have made it into the Scotland line up I aim to perform to the best of my ability in front of my home crowd and hopefully qualify for the final.

“It has been a tough undertaking to get here, with two-and-a-half hours training six days a week. What I particularly enjoy about shot put is the complexity of skill involved. It is a very technical event, perhaps despite perception, and there are always elements of your throw to improve on.” The seven-time Scottish Indoor champion and six-time Scottish Outdoor champion started her competitive athletic career aged just eight, when she first competed in the heptathlon event.

An ankle injury at 15-years-old spurred her on to focus on her strongest event, shot put.

After six weeks of specialising in the discipline she scooped her first Scottish age group medal and hasn’t looked back since.

With a rigorous training regime, she had been on track for London 2012 Olympic trials but a bad knee injury two weeks before the British Championships left her on the sidelines. After six months out, Alison has been back in the throwing circle with high aims for the Commonwealth Games.

Alison added: “I constantly try to better myself every day. It has been challenge to fit this in with my full time job, but Intertek has been very supportive of my athletic ambitions.

“There won’t be a lot of time to catch my breath after the Games as I’m onto the Scottish Championships in August.”