Park, McGlynn and McGhee gain recognition

Published on Tuesday 30 December 2008 22:04

AS WELL as Chris Hoy's knighthood, three other sporting Scots received recognition in the New Year Honours list.

Stephen Park, manager of the British Olympic sailing team, receives the OBE for services to sport. Park, from Helensburgh, was at the helm in Beijing as the British team landed six medals – including four golds – and finished at the top of the sailing medal table. It improved on the performance in Athens four years previously – where Park was also the manager – when two gold, a silver and a bronze were collected.

Visually impaired cyclist Aileen McGlynn, 35, from Glasgow also gets an OBE for services to disabled sport.

With pilot rider Ellen Hunter, the Scot won golds in Beijing in the time trial and 3km pursuit event for blind and visually impaired athletes, setting a world record in the time trial in the process. The pair won gold and silver in Athens four years ago.

Success has not been straight- forward for McGlynn and Hunter, who have to juggle their separate lives in Wrexham and Glasgow to train for major events. They train individually most of the time, but met up every other week in preparation for the Paralympics.

Finally, champion rower and charity fundraiser Owen McGhee is to receive the MBE for services to sport and to charity.

McGhee has revealed that he thought his MBE letter from the Queen was his driving licence. He said when he opened the envelope with a royal postmark he was pleasantly surprised to realise he was being honoured for his contribution to rowing and his work with the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The 70-year-old from Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire, defied the odds after being diagnosed with MND nine years ago, when he was given just three years to live.

He has competed in national and international rowing competitions for 50 years and has won gold medals at Scottish championships and masters events.

The grandfather-of-three has also helped raise thousands of pounds for the Scottish MND Association, of which he is vice-chairman.

He said he was "gobsmacked" when he realised what the letter was. "I'd recently had to reapply for my driving licence to be renewed, so I thought it might be that," he said. "It is not something you expect, so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up and found it was something different.

"I had no inclination or expectation that I would be receiving this, so it is a delight and of course a great honour."

McGhee, a former IBM worker who is also a past chief executive of Young Enterprise Scotland, continues to compete in the veterans' rowing team at the Clydeside Amateur Rowing Club, of which he is president.

He also took part in the Cape Wrath half marathon last year.

The pensioner hopes to travel with his family to Edinburgh or London next year to receive the MBE.