Callum Smith

How I Started:

I started badminton when I was around 7 years old and at this age I already played multiple sports such as football, tennis and swimming. My step-dad got me into the sport of badminton and I quickly noticed that I was much further ahead with progression than people in the same age group as me. In my first competition, the Scottish Borders Primary School Championships, I won this title at the age of 8 competing against children 3 years older than me. From this I quickly knew I had future potential in the sport, as I am still the only ever player to achieve this.

My Greatest Achievement:

My greatest achievement has to be representing Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where I picked up my first ever Scottish cap at the age of 20. This event brought me so many emotions that helped me develop as a player, a reason for this being that it almost felt as if I was playing in front of a home crowd. The support helped manage my emotions on court, giving me that extra boost to give it my all every time I entered the court.

Another achievement I’m proud of is holding 5 Scottish Men’s Senior National Titles, where I aim to win many more of these and keep my 5-year win streak on home soil continuing.

My Greatest Challenge:

My greatest challenge in sport would be when I snapped my ligaments in my right ankle in 2023. Due to this I was unable to compete for 6 months which I had never had to experience in my career. This was a very difficult time as the sport I love was taken away from me while my team-mates were able to develop their game during this time.

As a result of this my world ranking majorly dropped which made it harder for me to get back to where I was and enter major tournaments, as I had to go through qualification periods for each tournament.

My Hobbies:

One of my favourite things to do in my spare time is winding up either my dog or my girlfriend’s dog. I get a lot of joy out of this, although I don’t think my family does! Alongside my badminton journey I also deliver coaching sessions in Scotland for all ages and abilities, which I enjoy seeing each of my players’ development. Lastly, I am a massive fan of food. After my training sessions I am always very excited to go and stuff my face to “refuel”.

My Future Aspirations:

I have played in multiple high-level events such as the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and representing Scotland in team events. One event I haven’t competed in yet is the World Championships which is my goal to qualify for in 2026. To play in the World Championships would be a huge step forwards in my career, as I can then tick this off my bucket list and get the experience of playing against the world’s best.

After my playing career I will still want to be involved with the sport as I have recently set up a coaching brand “Liftbadminton” which aims at helping players of all ages and abilities develop their game.