Sammi Kinghorn, a presenter on BBC's Countryfile and a British world champion wheelchair racer, has announced she is expecting her first child with partner Callum Aitken. The 29-year-old shared the news on Instagram with a video showing the couple wearing caps labelled 'mum' and 'dad', holding a scan photo and knitted baby boots. She captioned the post: 'Half of me and half of you! We can't wait to meet you in July.'
Kinghorn's life changed dramatically in 2010 when a tragic accident on her family's farm in Scotland left her paralysed from the waist down. She recalled climbing onto a forklift operated by her father, Neil, who unknowingly lowered the bucket onto her. She described feeling 'pressure' on her neck and her back 'popping', and initially thought her father was joking. 'My heart was thumping in my chest. Everything felt really slow and all I could hear was my breath,' she told the Daily Mail.
After the accident, Kinghorn spent time in hospital and initially lied to her parents about how it happened, fearing the impact on her father. She later revealed the truth when doctors noted the injuries did not match a fall. Her father described the incident as 'blowing the family's life to pieces'.
Despite her paralysis, Kinghorn found a new passion in wheelchair racing. She told The Scotsman in 2014: 'I thought I’d be in a bed forever. So, to then get into a wheelchair was amazing. I know it sounds strange, but I was so happy.' She went on to represent Team GB at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, winning gold in the T53 Women’s 100m and silver in three other events.
Kinghorn launched her TV career in 2023 as a presenter on Countryfile. Her pregnancy announcement has been met with widespread congratulations from fans and colleagues.
