Parasport Personality (Women)
ORIGINALLY a wheelchair basketball player, Jo Butterfield, from Glasgow, moved to athletics where she made an instant impact.
On her European Championship debut in Swansea three years ago, Jo won gold in the F32/51 Club Throw.
She followed that up in 2015 with a gold in the same event at the World Championships in Doha, then another European title at Grosseto in Italy last year.
But in Rio her crowning glory came when she obliterated her own world record with a throw of 22.81 metres. SPRINTER Maria Lyle could hardly have made a bigger impact when she burst on to the scene less than three years ago.
At the tender age of 14, Maria broke the world record in the 200m sprint T35 and since then has secured her spot as one of Scotland’s top Parasports athletes.
Maria, from Dunbar, was born with cerebral palsy and, despite being only 16, has added an incredible haul of titles in her short career.
She’s landed five gold medals at the European Championships, a gold and two silver medals at the World Championships, and in Rio she won a silver medal (in the 4 × 100m T35-38) and two bronze
positions. and share a tandem cycle.
She began competing in the sport in 2013 and a year later landed the ITU Paratriathlon world title.
At Rio, 29-year-old Alison, along with guide Hazel Smith, landed a sensational silver medal in the triathlon PT5 event.