An update from Scott Meenagh – MCL People Ambassador & Winter Paralympian

Scott Meenagh has been part of the Mackenzie Construction family since 2019, helping to inspire our teams and driving engagement across the business as our People Ambassador.

Scott is a Winter Paralympian and is preparing for the upcoming 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. Scott kindly attended our recent Structural Refurbishment Divison Stand Down Day where he gave insight into his 2026 Paralympic journey.

Scott brought his Biathlon rifle along, which has recently had a new custom-stock made by a craftsman in Norway. Scott commented, “It was a fascinating process, for which, I was in his workshop for three days as we whittled away at a single piece of wood until it was the perfect mould for my shooting position.” 

When speaking about his training this summer, Scott spoke of the ability to build on his training with a relatively healthy body this year. Comparing this to Summer 2023 where he was in surgery and spent most of his time in recovery and rehab.

Scott spoke about the journey he has been on as a sport, “From starting as an idea in a coffee shop to winning a World Championships medal”. There were a number of financial cuts in 2022 that had a knock-on effect on athletes, with Scott now carrying on as a sole training athlete, “It’s purely down to the relationships I had kindled within Mackenzie and other commercial partners that have got me to where I am today. I am always grateful to companies like Mackenzie for supporting me through the toughest of times, keeping me in this sport and allowing me to win my medal, forcing the governing body to re-inject some investment into supporting me.” This, however, can be difficult, both practically and mentally, and Scott shared with the team a little bit about how he coped with that, “The power of the international community, sharing resources and training spaces, and the wider team around me have helped me cope.”  

Scott talked about the legacy of the programme, “I have reframed how I see the legacy over the past year or so. I am dreaming big, and not settling for the success I have achieved so far.  I want more.  I don’t only want to be the first, I want to be the best.  Leaving Great Britain’s place held in high regard internationally by my peers.”

Scott recently started working with a coach to help him understand himself and identify his goals, “She has helped me to organise and verbalise my goals which is a scary thing to do.  Stating my intention, aiming unapologetically high, and expecting to win.  The mindset shift that comes with that is scary and feels a bit arrogant.  But also, it is a positive step towards positive thinking and self-talk, allowing me to push out the negativity, and self-deprecation that comes naturally with those ideas.”

Scott spoke of his opposition and the rigorous approach to training and racing they take, noting them as some of the toughest people he has ever met, “The Ukrainians race in the knowledge that their country is fighting for its very survival, and they emulate that in their performances. I try to take as much from their habits as I can. I have to do the hard work mostly alone, and there are days when motivation will be hard to find. I try to imagine what my competitors are doing that day, and it drives me to push on, trying to be better every day.”

Scott finished up by speaking about how he mentally manages the lone training, “I’d love to have a shiny montage of footage and photos of all the work I do, but that doesn’t exist. As I train alone, often there is nobody around to witness the hard yards. However, I have learned to take pleasure in that feeling. My mindset is ‘only I get to see how much really goes into this’ and I use that statement as a fuel to my fire.”

Scott finished up his segment by opening the floor to a ‘Question & Answer’ session, receiving lots of engagement from the Mackenzie Team.

We would like to thank Scott for his time sharing where he is at in his sporting journey and look forward to following him as he progresses towards the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.