Celebrating sporting excellence at UHI: 2025 Sporting Blues winners announced

The Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) in partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Sporting Blues Awards. These esteemed awards recognise exceptional sporting achievement across the UHI partnership, awarded to students who have reached a high level in their sport or contributed significantly to the UHI sporting community.

This year’s awards reflect the incredible diversity and resilience of student athletes, many of whom balance their training with demanding academic and personal commitments. The 2025 cohort includes record-breakers, national representatives, and inspirational figures making their mark in sports such as weightlifting, golf, adaptive CrossFit, swimming, and strongwoman competitions.

The coveted UHI Sportsperson of the Year title was awarded to Katja Blunden from UHI Moray, who also received a Full Blue, recognising her exceptional performance and leadership in sport throughout her time at UHI. Her achievements include winning a gold medal at the Masters 800m World Championships, setting both a Masters Athletics Championship record and a Scandinavian athlete record in the over-45 category, as well as winning another gold at the Scottish Student Outdoor Athletics Championships.

Katja stated:

“Being selected as UHI Sportsperson of the year is a great honour. Winning this award at 46, after navigating some health challenges makes it even more meaningful, and hopefully inspires people into believing in themselves – passion and perseverance really can carry you further than you think! I have truly valued my time as a student at UHI. It was a privilege to represent the university at Student Sports Championships and a real pleasure to study sports science under the guidance of the amazingly friendly and supportive sport department staff at UHI Moray.”

Full Blue awards, presented to athletes of outstanding ability judged by their sport’s national standard, were awarded to:

Natalie Sayle, a Sports Coaching and Development student at UHI Moray, who has represented Scotland in kickboxing. She said: ‘Mindset is everything – find a reason to win.’

Ava Walsh, now in her third year of a BSc (Hons) Sport and Fitness degree at UHI Inverness recently became the Scottish Universities weightlifting champion in the under 64kg category. She reflected:

“It is a great honour to receive this award and really means a lot to me. I came to Olympic Weightlifting relatively recently and achieving what I have in this time has played an important part in my confidence as a person and aspirations for the future. I hope that it will continue to play a big part in my life, continuing to learn and grow as an athlete and coach in the amazing community weightlifting has to offer.”

Louis Fleming, a Professional Golf student at UHI North, West and Hebrides who returned from injury to win the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) West of Scotland Championship said:

“I am very grateful and honoured to receive this award. I started the academic year with an injury, so I was not able to play golf for six weeks. To end this academic year with my first win in a world ranking event was special. This award has given me a strong desire for success in the future, and I hope this will inspire students across UHI.”

Tegan Patterson, studying an NC in Social Services and Childcare at UHI Shetland has set a world record in the Viking deadlift and a new Shetland record for the Atlas stone lift. She stated:

“Thank you very much to HISA for this Sporting Blues award. I would also like to thank my coach Andrew Goodlad and Stuart and Steven Moar from Shetland Weight Training Gym for making this possible. I started strongwoman in May 2024. Since then, I have competed in two local competitions and two national competitions. My two proudest moments are breaking a World Record in Viking deadlifts, with a 322.5kg lift,  and breaking the Shetland female record for Atlas stones with a 120kg stone. I am now preparing for Shetlands strongest woman 2025.”

Carly Ireland, a Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation student at UHI Perth has picked up multiple medals for trampolining, competing in Scottish Student Sport, BUCS and Scottish Gymnastics competitions. Carly reflected:

“Winning a Sporting Blue award is a huge honour. It's a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and passion that trampolining demands and I am very proud to receive this award.”

Aidan Lennan, a Sports Coaching and Development student at UHI Inverness is currently ranked world number one at junior level across three kickboxing disciplines, recently bringing home five medals from the Italian World Cup.

Half Blue recipients, recognised for excelling well above university-level standards or for representing UHI at national competitions, include:

Rachel Hives a Business and Management student at UHI Inverness and elite Adaptive CrossFit athlete, stated:

"As a mum of two and a student at UHI with a neurological disorder, receiving this Sporting Blue is an incredibly meaningful recognition. It celebrates the immense effort required to balance life's demands with competing at an elite level through the Adaptive CrossFit Games, and I hope it inspires others to pursue their passions regardless of their circumstances."

Matthew McCreadie, a student at UHI Inverness is a dedicated swimmer preparing for the European Championships. He has won multiple medals in backstroke, freestyle and fly and he said, “I love my swimming and I’m very happy to win this award.”

Matthew’s family expressed their pride, saying:

“We are delighted for Matthew to have been awarded a Half Blue. All his hard work is now showing in the amazing results he has achieved in the last few months. Matthew is now focused on training for the European Championships to be held in Portugal later this year.”

Sophie Townsley, a Sports Coaching and Development student from UHI Perth has outstanding achievements in football and has been capped four times for the under-19s Scotland women’s team. 

Isabella Fioretti, a Sports Coaching and Development student at UHI Inverness competes at a high level in boxing, with her sights set on the Commonwealth Games. After winning multiple championships, she has been selected for the Scottish national team.

In recognition of their wider contribution to sport, Honorary Blues were awarded to:

Curtis Hirst, a final year Theatre Industry Practice student at UHI Perth, and long-time archer, regularly serves as a results manager at Scottish events and is Event Director for the Orkney Island Games. He has also recently qualified as an Archery GB National Judge, the highest officiating level in the UK and will be heading out to Canada this summer to officiate at the World Archery Youth Championships. He said:

“I am very honoured to receive an Honorary Blue. My archery and the work I do in the sport has meant a lot to me since I started nearly 20 years ago and it will continue to do so for the rest of my life.”

Iain Morrison, the former Dean of Student Experience at UHI was recognised for his commitment to student sport across the institution.

"I am very touched to receive an Honorary Blue from HISA. This recognition means a great deal to me. It’s a privilege to be acknowledged in this way, and I’m truly grateful to have worked with wonderful HISA staff, officers, students and university staff over 21 years in promoting and supporting opportunities for sporting activities. I will be accepting this on behalf of the many deserving people who have put so much into this area of the UHI student experience."

These awards continue a long tradition of celebrating excellence in university sport and reflect UHI’s commitment to supporting students to succeed both on and off the field.

Amanda Fleet, Sports Development Coordinator at HISA, said:

“The Sporting Blues awards are a highlight of our year, celebrating the passion, persistence and achievements of student athletes from every corner of our university. It’s inspiring to see so many UHI students thriving in sport and leading by example.”