STIRLING swimmer Martin Cremin insists he is ready to simply enjoy this summer’s Commonwealth Games after admitting it took every ounce of determination just to book himself a spot on Scotland’s team.

Four years of hard work for Cremin were rewarded as he finished fifth in the 1500m freestyle heats at the British Championships, dipping under the required time needed to secure a spot on Scotland’s Commonwealth Games team.

The 22-year-old touched home in 15:26.40 minutes at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, 0.88 seconds inside the Commonwealth Games qualification time to ensure he will return to Glasgow this summer.

However it was less than two weeks beforehand that Cremin wondered if his dream would ever become a reality, as despite winning 1500m freestyle bronze, at the Scottish Championships, once again at Tollcross, his time was 0.70 seconds shy of what was required.

But, after summoning all of his strength to put this agony to bed just 11 days later, Cremin – who finished seventh in the final at the British Championships – admits it is now time to enjoy the ride as he counts down the days until Glasgow 2014.

“I have been preparing for the last four years for the Commonwealth Games, but particularly this last training cycle, I have just been so focussed,” said Cremin, who benefits from the Bank of Scotland Local Heroes programme.

“So I am delighted to have secured my spot on the team for the Commonwealth Games and it is a huge weight to get off my mind.

“I was so disappointed to just miss out at the Scottish Championships because I had psyched myself up so much.

“I didn’t know if I could get back into that mindset in time for the British Championships. It was really hard actually to get back to that level but I decided to take the Scottish Champs as a positive because it was still a lot faster than I had swum in 2013.

“So while it was tough, I just dug deep and managed to psych myself back up again and I am really pleased I did because it was so worth it in the end.

“My coach and I haven’t really communicated beyond April because we were just so focussed on qualifying so I am not entirely sure what my preparation will be but I can now look forward to the summer and I can’t wait for the Commonwealth Games to get going now.” Cremin isn’t the only swimmer from Stirling’s stable to have bagged himself a Commonwealth Games spot from the British Championships.

Teammate Joe Welstead is among those also able to look forward to a summer to remember and Cremin is delighted he gets to share the experience with his friend.

“The Commonwealth Games is going to be amazing and it is going to be even better now that my teammate Joe has qualified too,” he added.

“It hasn’t really sunk in for the pair of us that we will be going yet but I am sure it will and I am so pleased I get to share it all with him.

“He has worked really hard and we push each other in training with the help of our coaches Kerry Wood and Bradley Hay and we can’t wait for it to start now.” The Bank of Scotland Local Heroes programme, in partnership with SportsAid, continues to provide support and funding to emerging Scottish athletes.

Nearly 240 Local Heroes have benefited from the programme since 2008. Follow Scotland’s future stars at facebook.com/bankofscotlandlocalheroes