Hamilton boccia king Steph McGuire mingles with royalty ahead of hometown Christmas lights switch on

Paralympic champion Steph McGuire rubbed shoulders with royalty earlier this month after meeting King Charles and Princess Anne.

And now Hamilton’s boccia king is preparing to switch on the town’s Christmas lights tomorrow, having come through the darkest stage of his lengthy career to take gold in Paris last summer.

A fall in 2022 that resulted in a broken leg and knee led to a lengthy recovery period, with Steph fearing he would never play again.

It took 18 months to convince himself that he could be competitive, and even then he achieved the last available slot in Paralympics GB, heading to France.

But the 40-year-old is enjoying a year to remember having won gold in Paris and then receiving the Eric Liddell Award, which recognises 20 Scottish people who have made a remarkable contribution to their communities, alongside athlete Eilish McColgan.

He has also attended a reception at Buckingham Palace, and been nominated for the Team Scotland and sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards, which will be given out at Glasgow Science Centre on Wednesday, December 4. Steph is in the Para Male Athlete of the Year category alongside Stephen Clegg (swimming) and Fin Graham (cycling), while his coach Claire Morrison is up for Coach of the Year.

And Steph says pressing the button on Quarry Street this Saturday is a real honour in his home town, but acknowledges that he has earned it for winning the biggest of his many prizes.

He told Lanarkshire Live Sport : “To get over that line after 20 years, and in this cycle in particular, having the worst injury ever, being out for a year not knowing if I was going to be able to compete again, and then coming away with the biggest prize, has been incredible. I’ve worked hard for it.

“That