Borders Paralympians Samantha Kinghorn and Stephen Clegg named in King Charles III’s 2024 new years honours list

​Gordon’s Kinghorn, currently based in Nantwich in Cheshire, and Newcastleton’s Clegg, living in Edinburgh these days, have been awarded the Order of the British Empire and made a Member of the British Empire respectively for services to athletics and swimming.

Kinghorn’s latest honour follows being made an MBE in 2022 for services to disability sport.

Both won their first gold medals at August and September’s Paralympics in France.

Wheelchair racer Kinghorn, 29 next Monday, hit gold in T53 100m in Paris and also picked up four silver medals, for 400m, 800m, 1500m and 4x100m universal relay.

Clegg, 29, won a gold medal in S12 100m backstroke in the French capital, setting a new world record in process, and picked up another gold for S12 100m butterfly.

Both also won medals at 2021’s Paralympics in Japan, Kinghorn, coached by Ian Mirfin, a bronze for T53 100m and Clegg, coached by Mat Trodden, a silver for S12 100m butterfly and bronzes for S12 100m backstroke and freestyle.

Kinghorn is delighted to add another medal to accolades including being named as SportScotland’s joint para athlete of the year and ClubSport Berwickshire’s sports personality of the year for 2024 in November, telling Greatest Hits Radio: “It’s crazy.

“When I received my MBE, I was absolutely over the moon. I was able to take my mum and dad and my partner to the award ceremony and it was such a beautiful day, and knowing now that I’ll get to do that all again and now have an OBE, it stunned me, to be honest. I’m incredibly humbled.”

Clegg’s medal rounds off a year he rates as “as close to perfect as I could have hoped for”, adding: “It worked out great, and it was great to be able to pay back all the hard work my team had put in around me and all the sacrifices they have to make.”

UK Government Scottish secretary Ian Murray is among those to have applauded the Borderers’ latest honours, saying: “I congratulate all Scots the length and breadth of the country who have been honoured by his majesty the King in his new year honours list.

“Football heroes David Moyes and Alan Hansen are rewarded for their contributions to the sport.

“Duncan Scott, Britain’s most decorated Olympic swimmer, is recognised, as are Paralympic athletes swimmer Stephen Clegg and archer Nathan MacQueen.

“Many of the unsung heroes in our communities are on the list, including those working to tackle poverty and disadvantage.”

UK prime minister Keir Starmer added: “Each and every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities.

“They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service which I put at the centre of everything this government does.

“The new year honours list celebrates more of these unsung heroes, and I thank them for their incredible contribution.”