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Stirling University sports scholar Hugh Nibloe is celebrating after winning a top award at the Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards.
The Scottish Wheelchair Curling star won the Disability Award – alongside coach Sheila Swan and teammates Aileen Neilson, Robert McPherson and Gary Logan – in recognition of their silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.
The award comes at an exciting time for 37-year-old Nibloe who has recently taken over as skip of the Scottish team.
Team Scotland finished second in the World Wheelchair Curling Championships hosted at The PEAK in March after losing 5-2 to China in the final.
Nibloe had previously won bronze at the competition in 2017.
He skipped Scotland for the first time in September after taking over from Aileen Neilson and faces a busy start to 2020, travelling to Finland in January for the Kisakallion Open before flying to Switzerland in March for the World Championships.
Nibloe said:“We will have a good chance at the competition – it is all about hitting the right form that week because there are about half-a-dozen teams that could medal.”
The Stranraer man was an officer of the watch in the merchant navy and a keen rugby player but was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and lost the use of his legs at the age of 23.
Until 2012, his only competitive outlet was playing dominoes. However, after accepting an offer to try wheelchair curling, he has never looked back.
He began a Sports Business degree at the university in September after receiving a scholarship through the Winning Students programme and juggles his studies with a busy training schedule, including regular sessions on the ice at The PEAK-based National Academy and in the gym.
“It has been really challenging but really enjoyable,”said Nibloe.
“I am enjoying learning and it gives me a huge distraction from curling – I try to do my reading when I’m away as it gives me something else to think about away from the rink.”
Stirling Bike Club’s Charlie Aldridge was also among the winners, picking up the Young Sports Personality of the Year Award.
The teenager was in top form in 2019, stealing the show with a history-making win in the UCI World Junior Series in Germany in May.
Charlie (18) is the first Brit to win one on foreign soil, defeating world No.1
Carter Woods in the process and he racked up another three wins in the by July as well series of UK
He that in when first series as a wins. topped all September he became the male GB athlete ever to wear the treasured rainbow stripes given to a UCI world champ after taking the World Junior XC event in Mont Sant-Anne, Canada, by a storming 11-second margin.