On Saturday I was delighted to welcome Sid Pask and his wife Jackie from Dunblane to the Scottish parliament at the weekend as part of Holyrood’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Earlier this year all 129 MSPs were invited to nominate a constituent who makes a positive difference to the lives of others – often with little recognition – as their ‘local hero’.

So many people are hugely deserving of recognition and I’m sure I could have filled the parliament with those from my constituency alone. However, in an Olympic year, I thought it was fitting to recognise Sid for his contribution to providing support and inspiration to so many young athletes in our local area.

Sid is a founder member of Wee County Harriers – who are also celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Over the years, Sid has served as a coach at the club, currently coaching the junior section. He has also helped develop training plans for club members to complete the Stirling Marathon and, most recently, this year’s Alloa Half Marathon where there were seventy-one entries from the club.

Sid has also had a longstanding involvement with the Dunblane Road Race.