COMMONWEALTH Games star and avid baker, Alison Peasgood, is hoping to rise to the occasion as she prepares for a bumper summer of paratriathlon action.

The 34-year-old, who last month was selected by Team Scotland to compete in Birmingham this summer, hopes to break new ground in the water, on the bike and on the road after doing so with her favourite hobby, which saw her make doughnuts from scratch for the first time.

Dunfermline competitor Alison, who won a memorable silver medal in the PTVI classification for athletes with a visual impairment at the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016, will follow-up her Commonwealth Games appearance by competing in Britain's first-ever standalone World Triathlon Para Series event, which takes place in Swansea, in August.

She readily admits that, following on from her success six years ago, she has had a few setbacks, although she came close to medalling again at last year's delayed Tokyo Paralympic Games, where she finished fourth.

A bronze medal at the Paratriathlon World Championships followed and Alison, who will represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games for the first time, with her classification the sole paratriathlon category included for Birmingham 2022, admits it will be a memorable competition.

She's also banking on plenty of support in the crowd, as she explained: "To get a medal at a major Games is always special and, for me, it's been a pretty hard time since Rio really.

"From 2019 onwards, I've had a few injuries, setbacks and illnesses. So, to finally put a good race together, I'll be happy with that.

"It's being the best prepared and feeling like I've done myself justice and, if I can do that, then there's a good chance of that gold medal. But I'll be happier with just putting a race together that I'm proud of.

"It's such a unique opportunity to represent Scotland. I thought it was something I'd never really get the chance to do, so it will be pretty cool and I'm looking forward to it.

"It will still be a home Games, so the fact my family can actually come and see me is pretty cool.

"I think the support will be crazy in Birmingham because the crowds we had at Leeds for the World Series race last year was beyond anything we've ever had, apart from Rio."

Last weekend, Alison continued preparations for the Games, which take place from July 28 to August 8, by placing second in the women's race at the 2022 Europe Para Triathlon Championships in Poland.

She's looking forward to also going for global glory in South West Wales swiftly after Birmingham, having enjoyed a solid winter following her third place at the World Triathlon Para Championships in Abu Dhabi in November.

Not only has she stayed injury-free, but Alison has appointed her husband, Jack, as her coach, and trains with two guides, Hazel MacLeod and Brooke Gillies.

"The Commonwealth Games and Swansea are right after each other so it's going to be such an exciting couple of weeks," she added.

"The atmosphere is hopefully going to be just as good at both, so we are going to have two races where the crowd support is amazing with a high standard of racing.

"Hopefully, in Swansea, there will be even greater competition because it’s the world, not just the Commonwealth.

"It feels like I’ve had a really good and consistent winter. Different from before, but it will be interesting to see how that translates into racing."

Swim, bike, run in Britain will have a 2022 to remember with the AJ Bell 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds on June 11-12, triathlon and paratriathlon at Birmingham Commonwealth Games on July 29 and 31, and Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea on August 6.

For more information, visit https://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/major-events.