After receiving a royal honour from the King, Olympic swimmer Hannah Miley said she hopes to inspire more young women to pursue athletics.
On Wednesday, Miley, who is also an alumna of Inverurie Academy in Aberdeenshire, was honoured for her achievements in swimming and the advancement of women in sport with the award of a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) during an investiture ceremony held at Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The two-time Commonwealth champion was one of fifty top-tier athletes to represent SayPeriod, a movement to eradicate the taboo around menstruation.
She advocated for women and girls to use the phrase at the time in order to facilitate open dialogue about menstruation and female health.
Speaking after the ceremony, Miley said: “I feel very honored and excited, lots of emotions. It’s a real privilege and something I wasn’t expecting."
“It’s nice to know that there is someone advocating for menstrual literacy and keeping girls healthy. Health is more than just sport, fitness and eating well. Sharing that passion with those who want to listen has been hugely important to me.
“Hopefully we will see some younger girls coming through, achieving bigger and better things and for them to take their career wherever they want to take it to."
“If I can be a small part in helping with that, that’s a job well done."
“It’s nice to be recognised for that and hopefully inspire young girls to stick with the sport and also for them to learn more about their bodies and remain healthy.”
On Wednesday, Miley was one of 79 Scots honoured by King Charles. The 33-year-old won gold medals for Scotland in the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and competed for Great Britain at three Olympic Games.
