Stephen secured Gold in a thrilling final of the BC4 men’s Boccia competition having waited 20 years to secure the elusive Olympic medal.

A motion at a meeting of South Lanarkshire Council, proposed by Councillor David Watson and seconded by Councillor Mo Razzaq, stated: Stephen secured a gold medal at his fourth attempt having only been selected to compete in the Paralympics at the start of July.

Stephen started playing Boccia in 2004, became World Champion in 2016 and European Champion 2017 and 2021.

In 2022 Stephen suffered a fall which left him with a broken leg and knee.

It was a long road to recovery for him to get ready for competition again.

Stephen worked for over 18 months to prove that he could be competitive again.

This self-determination and commitment resulted in Stephen securing Gold at the Paris Paralympics.

Stephen has been a customer and user of South Lanarkshire Leisure facilities for many years.

He is a lifelong resident of South Lanarkshire and, very importantly a fantastic ambassador for the sport of Boccia and for South Lanarkshire.

He is a strong supporter of South Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and South Lanarkshire Disability Sport.

Over many years Stephen has participated in and supported initiatives with the aim of encouraging participants, both disabled and able bodies to participate in sport and be physically active.

In June, Stephen took time out from his busy schedule to attend the South Lanarkshire Disability Sports Awards where he was presented with the Male Sportsperson of the Year.

He values grass roots participations and helps support the weekly South Lanarkshire Disability Sports Boccia sessions at the Alistair McCoist Centre.