Boccia star and Paralympic champion Steph McGuire tops off 'perfect' year with Scottish Sports Awards win

Steph McGuire admits being crowned Para Sportsperson of the Year at the Scottish Sports Awards topped off the ‘perfect’ season – and the night was made all the more special with his coach also picking up a prize.

The Hamilton boccia star has enjoyed a spectacular 12 months, having won Paralympic gold in Paris over the summer and winning Glasgow Para Sportsperson of the Year.

Last Wednesday night, 2024 got a whole lot better when he won the national prize and Claire Morrison claimed coach of the year at the Glasgow Science Centre.

And Steph said: “It has been the perfect year. When I started 2024, I hadn’t even qualified for the Paralympics so it has been really unexpected to do so well.

“To win gold was a dream come true and since then I’ve picked up the Glasgow Para Sportsperson of the Year and now The Scottish Para Sportsperson of the Year. I was up against some spectacular athletes so I am very humbled to win it.

“Claire is my coach and I’ve known her for 20 years. We’ve worked one-to-one for over 12 years now

and she has been a big part of the journey throughout. She deserves every part of her success, she’s a spectacular person and a wonderful coach.

“It made it all the more special on what was a great night for boccia and para sport. I got to meet some of the other people who have helped me on this journey. My original coach when I started out, Jacqueline Lynn, was there as well so it was a really nice night.”

Steph also had the honour of switching on the Christmas lights in his hometown on November 30.

He added: “It was lovely to do that and a privilege to be asked. It was put off for a week because of Storm Bert but it was great to do it when it was rearranged. So many people turned up and I really enjoyed the