First inductees to Scottish Disability Sport Hall of Fame are announced

THE inaugural 20 members of the Scottish Disability Sport Hall of Fame have been announced by Scottish Disability Sport (formerly the Scottish Sports Association for Disabled People) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Gavin MacLeod, the SDS chief executive, paid tribute to the inductees when he said: “This is a landmark day where we recognise the incredible achievements of Scotland’s most iconic athletes and players with a disability.

“The dedication and determination required by all the inductees we honour today is testament not only to the athletes themselves, but also to the support given from family, friends and coaches and volunteers.

“When you read through the sporting achievements of the Hall of Fame athletes it is an amazing record of sporting achievement across the last 50 years.

“Scottish Disability Sport will continue to build on the legacy of these athletes to expand opportunities for everyone with a disability to take part in sport, at every level or ability.

“We congratulate all the inaugural inductees on this honour, and look forward to announcing new Hall of Fame inductees in the future.”

The initial inductees, who were selected by a panel of four SDS experts in disability sport, led by Richard Brickley, are:

Valerie Robertson: Scotland’s greatest ever all-round wheelchair athlete, competing at Paralympic Games in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976, winning seven medals

Willie McLeod: Multi medallist across four Paralympic Games in bowls, 100 metres and world record holder for visually impaired long jump in 1985

Michael McCreadie: Involved in seven summer and winter Paralympic Games as a wheelchair basketball player, coach and wheelchair curler

Barbara Howie: Three times Paralympian between 1972 and 1980, winning five medals as Scotland’s first ever performance wheelchair athlete

Jim Muirhead: Scotland’s most successful visually impaired Paralympian – five gold, five silver and three bronze medals between 1976 and 1984

Tom Killin: Fencing and wheelchair curling Paralympian in 1980, 1984 (summer), 2006 and 2010 (winter), winning three silver and two bronze medals

Isabel Newstead MBE: At the 1984 Paralympics she won nine medals across three sports. She won a gold medal in shooting in her final Paralympic Games in 2004

Mary Ann Low: Scotland’s finest ever blind sports woman with 20 medals at Paralympic, world and European level in swimming during the 1980s and 1990s

Kenny Cairns MBE: Five-time Paralympic swimmer, winning 13 Paralympic medals, including four gold in 1984. He also won 16 medals at the World Championships and 21 at European Championships

Colin Keay: Outstanding T36 sprinter who won five gold and one silver medal at the New York and Seoul Paralympic Games. Excelled throughout the 1980s

Paul Noble MBE: Competed in five successive Paralympic Games, medalling in each. He won a total of 15 Paralympic medals including four gold

Maggi McEleny MBE: Four-time Paralympian, winning 15 medals, including three gold. She also won 15 medals between 1991 and 2001 at European Championships including five gold medals

Jim Anderson OBE: Six-time Paralympian between 1992 and 2012. Has won a staggering 57 medals at Paralympic, world and European level

Caroline Baird MBE: Three times Paralympian between 1992 and 2000, winning five medals, including four gold in the T36 class. She also won World Championship gold in 1994 and 1998

Andrew Lindsey: Won 17 medals at Paralympic, world and European level and spent 10 years undefeated at 100m backstroke in S7 class

Stephen Payton: Four-time Paralympian T38 sprinter who burst onto the scene in 1994 at the IPC World Championships, winning three gold medals and setting a new world record

David Heddle MBE: Scotland’s last bowler to win a Paralympic gold medal at the Atlanta Games. He was also a member of the triples team that won the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester

Tracey Wiscombe: Scotland’s most successful sportsperson with a learning disability of all time, winning 39 swimming medals at Paralympic, world and European level

Aileen McGlynn OBE: Three-time Paralympic Games tandem cyclist between 2004 and 2012, winning two gold, two silver and one bronze medal

Frank Duffy: Wheelchair curling skip at the Torino Winter Paralympic Games, leading the GB rink to the silver medal. He also led Scotland to successive World Championship titles in 2004 and 2005