Leading international athletes among those to graduate from the University of Stirling

Four athletes who have been supported to compete at the highest levels of their sports while on a University of Stirling scholarship are celebrating their achievements at summer graduation.

Two-times Paralympic skier Scott Meenagh, professional golfer Louise Duncan, history-making judoka Gabriella Wood and record-breaking modern pentathlete Tristen Bell all received their degrees from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence this week. They are among 16 sports scholars – and more than 2,000 students – to have graduated from Stirling over the past two days.

Scott Meenagh is a two-time Paralympian - and hopes to make it three-in-a-row next year.

Scott, from Cumbernauld, took up Para sport after losing both his legs in an incident while serving as a soldier with the British Army in Afghanistan. In South Korea in 2018, he became the first Brit to compete in Nordic skiing at a Paralympics for 20 years, and four years later he returned to Paralympic action in Beijing. In 2023, he became the first British athlete to win a Para Nordic World Championship medal, taking silver in the 12.5km individual biathlon, and last year he finished third overall in the Para Biathlon Sprint World Cup.

Reflecting on a “huge milestone” as he graduates with a BA (Hons) History, Scott said: “It’s been a long journey through education for me – I’ve overcome a lot to be here and I’m really proud of that.

“The sports scholarship at Stirling has been fantastic. The University has been critical to sustaining my high-performance journey while balancing my studies as well – the consistency has been important; knowing you have a space, a campus, a faculty, a group of people who are supportive of your sport and your studies really helps you achieve your best self.”

Looking ahead to his next challenge, Scott, 35, added: “I’m really focused on going to the Paralympic Games in Milan next year, giving it everything I can and putting in my best performance. The only thing missing for me is a Paralympic medal – so that’s in my sights.”

Louise Duncan has competed professionally while on a golf scholarship at the University of Stirling.

Louise, from West Kilbride, began her golf scholarship at Stirling in 2019 and, since then, her profile within the sport has soared – driven by her historic win at the British Women’s Amateur Championship in 2021. She was crowned champion after beating Jóhanna Lea Lúđvíksdóttir of Iceland by the largest winning margin in the competition’s history.

On the back of that win, Louise played in the professional AIG Women’s Open 2021, where she secured a phenomenal top 10 finish, winning the Smyth Salver for being the top amateur in the field. She was also invited to play in the US Women’s Open, Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

Louise has played on the Ladies European Tour (LET) during her time as a student golfer and attributes her success to the support and coaching she has received at the University.

Louise said: “The sports scholarship has been beneficial to me – it has helped me develop and allowed me to get a degree under my belt. I wasn’t great at golf when I came here, but I developed thanks to getting exposure to different tournaments, different conditions and playing all year round.

“My highlight was definitely 2021 – it was massive for me and brought exposure to the University on the big stage too.”

Louise, 25, graduates with a BA (Hons) Sports Studies before flying to Sweden for her next event on the LET Access Tour.

Gabriella Wood was the first female to compete in judo at an Olympics for Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2021, while a student at Stirling, Gabriella became the first woman – and second person ever – to represent Trinidad and Tobago in judo at the Olympics. She has been the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) judo champion for three years – in 2022, 2023 and 2025 – and earlier this year participated in the launch of the King’s Baton Relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Graduating with a BA (Hons) Sports Studies, the 27-year-old said: “The University of Stirling helped me qualify for the Olympics in 2021 and that was the big one for me. It also gave me the opportunity to compete at the Commonwealth Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games.

“A highlight was winning BUCS three times – but my biggest achievement was qualifying as the first female from the English-speaking Caribbean, and from Trinidad and Tobago, to compete in judo at the Olympics.”

Gabriella is now considering a Masters at Stirling while she sets her sights on competing at the Commonwealth Games next year. She added: “I absolutely recommend a sports scholarship – it has given me such flexibility in my studies, while allowing me to train and compete.”

Tristen Bell won silver at the Pan American Games in 2023, while on the University of Stirling sports scholarship programme.

Modern pentathlete Tristen – who was born in Florida and raised in the Czech Republic – was drawn to Stirling by its excellent sports facilities and beautiful campus. He won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in 2023 and, earlier this year, was crowned BUCS Modern Pentathlon Champion with a record-breaking performance.

He said: “The University has played the biggest part in my success. I wasn’t professional when I arrived here in first year, but after a year, I started going to World Cups and World Championships and my performance went from average to world-class.

“The convenience of the University has played a big role – having the five sports in one place – and that has really shown in my results. The people here are super supportive; it’s a great environment with people pushing me.

“Stirling has helped me focus on a degree while continuing to compete as a world-class athlete. The balance has been perfect.”

Tristen, 24, graduates with a BA (Hons) Business Studies and Sports Studies and is now considering a Masters degree while building towards the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The athletes were among more than 2,000 students to graduate from the University of Stirling, Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence, in June 2025.

Other sports scholars graduating this week include: Abby Nisbet and Owen Tweed (both golf), Will Ellington (swimming), Jose Ignacio Navarro, Isa Aslanoglu, Jake Service, James Stokes, Ben Woloszyn and Lucy Jackman (all football), Kaleb Johnston (curling), Jack Kennedy (triathlon), and Stewart Greenhalgh (athletics).

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Congratulations to all our sports scholars who are graduating this week. Our scholars leave Stirling stronger athletes and can be proud of all their achievements in sport and academia.”

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include football, golf, tennis, swimming, triathlon, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.