Meet Our 2023/24 Sport Scholars The Sport Scholar programme supports talented athletes in balancing their academic studies with their sporting ambitions. The University of Edinburgh has a commitment to the development of Performance Sport and close links with Scotland’s elite sport network, including the Scottish Institute of Sport and National Governing Bodies. This year we are proudly supporting 22 athletes across a wide range of sports. Image Alexandra Armstrong Image Age 19 Degree Medicine Year Third Sport Kayaking Sprint Achievements Scotland Performance Squad 2023 British Level Regatta - Senior women's K4 500m: Silver Medal 2022 British National Championships - U23 5000m: Bronze Medal 2021 British Champion in K2 500m and K2 200m 2021 British Championships - 500m: Bronze medal 2021 Scottish Champion K1 1000m, 500m and K2 500m 2021 British Championships - 5000m: Bronze medal Alyson Bell Image Age 19 Degree Biological Sciences Year Third Sport Athletics (100m / 200m) Personal Best 100m - 11.31 seconds 200m - 23.93 seconds Achievements GB Futures Relay Programme Scotland Sprint and Relay Programme Scottish Record - 100m U20 British U20 record - 4 x 100m 2023 Scottish Senior 60m Champion 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships - 100m Finalist : New PB 11.31 seconds 2023 BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships - 60m: Bronze medal 2023 BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships - 100m: Silver medal 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships - 4x100: Gold medal (Championship record: 43.04 seconds) Isla Bethune Image Age 17 Degree Biochemistry Year First Sport Kayaking Achievements Great Britain junior development squad Represented GB at Olympic Hopes, Slovakia - K1 1000m Marathon Kayaking - K1 Womens U18 British Champion, K2 Women U18 British Champion Sprint U18 1000m K1 silver medallist Represented GB at Sprint World Championships Hungary Represented GB Marathon World Championships Portugal Isla Britton Image Age 20 Degree Medical Sciences Year Third Sport Triathlon Achievements Selected to represent Canada at Junior World Championships 2023 2023 Melilla European Cup - 5th Place Raced at 2021 World Junior Championships BUCS Duathlon: Bronze Medal Winner of 3 British Championships Winner of 6 Scottish Championships Fiona Bunn Image Age 24 Degree PhD Biological Sciences Year Postgraduate Third Sport Orienteering Achievements Top tier of GBR Orienteering Performance Squad Ranked 4th female in the UK in British orienteering rankings 2022 Competed in 3 World Cups including European Championships 2022 BUCS Individual Championships: Silver medal 2023 JK International Orienteering Festival: 3rd Overall Liam Edwards Image Age 19 Degree Mechanical Engineering Year First Sport Triathlon Achievements 2023 3rd place at the British Triathlon Performance Assessments Welsh Triathlon Academy / Next Generation Squad Represented GBR in the European Triathlon Junior Cup 2022 BUCS duathlon championships: 16th overall (3rd first year student) Lucy Evans Image Age 20 Degree Applied Sport Science Year Third Sport Air Pistol Shooting Achievements Scottish Target Shooting Tier 1 GB Senior Ranking: 2nd Senior World Ranking: 72nd Represented GB at the European Championships Tallin 2023 2023 Intershoot, The Netherlands 2 x silver medallist and bronze medallist for team Scotland 2022 Carlisle grand prix - Mixed Senior: Gold medal Scarlett Gammell Age 18 Degree Textiles Year First Sport Athletics Sprint Hurdling Personal Best 100m hurdles: 13.91 seconds 60m hurdles: 8.70 seconds Achievements 2023 UK Athletics Indoor Championships - 60m hurdles heats 2022 English Schools Championship - Women's U19 100m hurdles: Gold medal 2022 UK 100m hurdles U20 ranking: 5th 2022 UK 60m hurdles U20 ranking: 6th Ellen Gillespie More information coming soon... Adam Hamill Image Age 18 Degree Applied Sport Science Year First Sport Karate Achievements Represented Scotland since age 14 Current junior and senior Scottish, British & Commonwealth champion Two time world medallist Great Britain's highest ranked senior lightweight at only 18 years old Isla Hedley Image Age 17 Degree Landscape Architecture Year First Sport Triathlon / Mountain Biking Achievements Triathlon Scotland Next Generation Squad 2023 East Fife Sports Council Junior Athlete of the Year 2021 Eddie Campbell Memorial medal from Scottish Athletics for Junior Hill Running 2023 Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteira, Portugal, (representing GB): 4th Junior and 1st British 2022 Elite Junior World Cross-Triathlon - Representing GB: Gold medal 2022 Elite Junior European Cross-Triathlon - Representing GB: Gold medal 2022 Represented Scotland and GB in Mountain Running and Triathlon 2022 Scottish Cycling MTB XC: Junior Champion 2022 U20 Scottish Hill Running Champion Megan Keith Image Age 20 Degree Applied Sport Science Year Third Sport Athletics / Cross Country Personal Bests 5000m : 14:56.98 3000m : 8:52.51 1500m : 4:17.26 Achievements Represents Scotland and Great Britain at senior level 2023 Selected for team GB at the World Athletics Championships 2023 Senior World Tour Gold XC: Bronze medal 2023 European U23 Championships - 5000m: Gold medal 2022 Senior British XC European Trials: Silver medal 2022 Senior Scottish Short Course Cross Country Champion 2022 Senior Scottish 1500m Champion Clara Kerr Image Age 19 Degree Medicine Year Third Sport Diving Achievements Scottish Senior National Squad 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 3x Finalist Scottish Nationals Women's 3m Champion British Diving Junior Elites - 3m: Silver medal, Platform: Gold medal British National Cup - Junior 3m: Bronze medal Danny Mabbott Image Age 18 Degree Chemical Engineering Year Second Sport Diving Achievements Scottish National Senior Team 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - Men's 1m: Top 10 finish 2022 Junior World Diving Championship - Men's 1m: Top 10 finish 2022 British Elite Junior Diving Championship - Boy's 1m: Silver medal 2022 British Elite Junior Diving Championship - Boy's 1m: Silver medal 2022 British National Diving Cup - Junior Men's 1m: Silver medal Kirsty Marsh Age 22 Degree Diploma in Professional Legal Practice Year Postgraduate First Sport Judo Achievements Judo Scotland National Squad Member Judo Scotland Performance Potential Member 2022 represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 Scottish Student Championships -57kgs: Gold medal 2021 Senior British Championships -52kgs: Silver medal 2021 Scottish Senior Championships -57kg: Gold medal 2020 BUCS Individuals, -52kgs: Silver medal Anna McGorum Begara Image Age 22 Degree Veterinary Medicine Year Fifth Sport Cross Country Mountain Biking Achievements 2022 Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championships: Gold medal 2023 British Cycling National Cross Country Series - Round 1: Gold medal 2023 British Cycling National Cross Country Series - Round 2 Short Course: Silver medal 2022 Scottish Students Hill Climb Championships: Bronze medal 2019 HSBC UK National Cross Country: Overall Series Champion 2018 Youth Olympic Games: Team 4th Angus Menmuir Image Age 19 Degree Applied Sport Science Year Second Sport Diving Achievements Scottish Senior Squad 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - Men's 10m: Finalist 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - 10m Mixed Synchro: Top 10 finish 2022/2021 Scottish National Champion - Men's 10m Lucy Murchie Image Age 19 Degree Applied Sport Science Year Third Sport Squash Achievements Scottish Squash Senior Academy Squad 2022 U19 Scottish Nationals: Gold medal 2019 Represented Scotland at the U19 European Team Championships Grace Reid Image Age 26 Degree Applied Sport Science Year Fourth Sport Diving Achievements British Diving Team Represented Team GB at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics 2023 University of Edinburgh Sport Hall of Fame Inductee 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - 3m Mixed Synchro: Gold medal 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games - 1m Springboard: Gold medal Youngest member of Team Scotland at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games - Top 10 finish Ellie Russell Image Age 20 Degree Biomedical Sciences Year Fourth Sport Gymnastics Achievements Scottish National Gymnastics Performance Programme Competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games for team Scotland 2022 Competed for Scotland at the Northern European Championships Senior Scottish Open all-round vault, bars and floor champion. Two time Scottish senior vault and bars champion British Championships - Vault and Floor: Top 5 finish Oliver Short Image Age 21 Degree Economics Year Third Sport Judo Achievements Senior British Squad Judo Scotland Performance Squad 2023 Senior Scottish Open: Gold medal 2022 Senior British Championships: Top 5 finish 2021 Represented GB at the Junior World and European Championships 2019 Junior British Championships: Silver medal Amelia Tyler Image Age 19 Degree Biomedical Science Year Second Sport Cycling Achievements Team Ireland National Development Squad Alba Elite Development Road Team BUCS Duathlon: Team Bronze medal 2022 Ras na Mban: Best Irish Rider (Green Jersey) 2022 Ras na Mban: Best Irish Team (Ulster) This article was published on 2024-05-13
