PROVING his selection for the Rio Paralympics and the birth of his son are two driving factors for para archer Nathan MacQueen as he builds up to Tokyo 2020.

The 28-year-old, who shoots in the compound open category, is ranked sixth in the world and finished in ninth place in Rio.

MacQueen has had his most successful year to date, rising up the world rankings after he picked up a bronze and silver medal on the European Cup circuit and finished seventh at the World Championships.

January 2018 saw the birth of his son Casey and MacQueen believes the arrival has offered him a different perspective on life and given him greater ambition.

“I think having Casey is partly why I’ve come good. He was born in January last year and he’s given another outlet, another dimension,” MacQueen said, speaking at a Sainsbury’s store in Livingston.

“I’m an athlete and I go and put my athlete hat on but then I come home and put my dad hat on and he doesn’t care where I am or what I’ve done, he just loves me.

“It’s given me another aspect to my life and I think that’s why I’ve got better; it’s unlocked another part of me.”

MacQueen only joined the Great Britain para archery squad in 2016 but had a whirlwind beginning which saw him compete in Rio.

With a Tokyo medal on his mind, MacQueen hopes the feeling he has created around himself when shooting helps him perform to his best.

“To be in Tokyo, I think it would prove that me going to Rio wasn’t a fluke,” added MacQueen, who was helping to promote Sainsbury’s role as longest-standing supporter of ParalympicsGB and a champion of inclusive sport for all.

“Rio was a bit surreal because I had only got on the squad in the year of Rio and it was a bit of an outside chance of me going but I won the selection shoot and ending up going and I had to pinch myself a lot.

“When you go into your first Games, it’s a lot of excitement about being there but it’s being a bit more level-headed going into it.

“Thinking about it as just another competition – even though it’s the Paralympics – you’re taking it as another competition so you’re not getting these spikes of excitement which could affect you.

“I want to medal in Tokyo but I need to continue how I have been shooting this year.

“I’ve worked a lot on having an aura when I’m shooting to make people fearful before they even come and face me.

“I’ve got a switch so I go from nice Nathan to competitive Nathan and it’s like when a bull gets a red mist.

“I’m just driven, I have tunnel vision and if I shoot a ten, I punch the air and people get behind me. It gives you a rush.”

Sainsbury’s is the longest-standing supporter of ParalympicsGB and a champion of inclusive sport for all. Sainsbury’s commitment to helping customers live well for less has been at the heart of what we do since 1869. For more information on Sainsbury’s commitment to inclusive sport visit https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/