Recognition for University of Stirling at Aquatics GB Awards
Major recognition for Stirling programme at national awards
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Four swimmers from the University of Stirling and Head Swim Coach Ben Higson have been recognised at the prestigious Aquatics GB Awards.
Ben won Swimming Coach of the Year – sharing the accolade with Manchester-based Ryan Livingstone – after taking multiple athletes to their maiden World Championships earlier this year.
At the competition, in Singapore, Great Britain won gold in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle team, an achievement that saw the team – comprising Stirling’s Duncan Scott, Jack McMillan and Tom Dean – jointly bestowed the Swimming Athlete of the Year award. Evan Jones – a student at Stirling but who trains in Manchester – was also a member of the winning team, alongside James Guy and Matt Richards too.
Tom, who joined the Stirling programme from Bath Performance Centre in September, said: “I think it’s really important we’ve got this heritage for the four by two. The experience is massive – I remember my first team years ago in Glasgow looking up to the likes of Calum Jarvis, Duncan [Scott] and Jimmy [Guy]. I’ve no doubt Evan along with plenty of other freestylers in the country are going to get loads of that experience in the future and hopefully many more medals, because our relay is a force to be reckoned with at the moment and it’s great to be a part of it.”
University of Stirling swimmer Freya Anderson receives her Aquatics GB award from host Colin Murray. Image credit: Sian Owen / Aquatics GB.
Freya Anderson – who also moved to Stirling earlier this year – received the Contribution to Social Impact award in recognition of the empowering work she is delivering to young women through her FAST and Female project, which is inspiring, educating and supporting girls in sport. She shared her award with open water swimmer Hector Pardoe, an advocate for clean water.
Reacting to her award, Freya said: “I’m so happy for the recognition of our aim to keep young women in girls in sport for longer by empowering them and seeing their confidence grow on our FAST and Female swim clinics. I’m really grateful to receive this award.”
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Executive Director of Sport, University of Stirling
As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, our high-performance swim programme is the strongest it has ever been – with record numbers of our athletes competing and winning on the international stage.
Cathy Gallagher, Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling, attended the awards, held in Newport on Saturday 8 November. She said: “A massive congratulations to Ben and our swimmers on their success at the Aquatics GB Awards. This is deserved recognition for incredible achievements across 2025, including winning gold at the World Championships in Singapore and Freya’s continued efforts to inspire and support young girls in sport.
“As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, our high-performance swim programme is the strongest it has ever been – with record numbers of our athletes competing and winning on the international stage. The success is built on our excellent partnership with Scottish Swimming, and supported by Aquatics GB and sportscotland, and we are incredibly proud of the achievements of our athletes and coaches, and are excited for what lies ahead as we continue preparations for next year’s home Commonwealth Games and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.”
Ben Higson (left), Head Performance Swim Coach at the University of Stirling, shared his award with Ryan Livingstone (centre). Image credit: Sian Owen / Aquatics GB.
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 swimming, triathlon, football, golf, tennis, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.
Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.