Hillsborough fencer honoured to carry the Olympic torch

The Senior Development Chemist at Almac Group is Chairman and Head Coach of the Mid Down Fencing Club, which operates in the Hillsborough Village Centre on Thursday evenings.

Stewart, 41, has been Chairman since 2009 and has grown the club from a handful of fencers to a vibrant club 30 strong, of all ages (8-50s).

He has secured grants that have allowed the club to provide all the equipment for beginners to get a taste for the sport and organised First Aid training and Child Protection training for himself and other volunteers.

Husband of Joanne and father of two daughters, Isla, two, and Lauren, two months, Stewart says he feels “thrilled, honoured and privileged and delighted for the fencing club” to have been picked.

“I have been chosen to take part in the Portrush route on June 3 and I intend to make a family day out of it. The children are a bit young so we will be taking lots of photographs to show them when they are older,” said Stewart who is originally from Buckie in North East Scotland.

Of the current crop of fencers, Stewart has trained several medal winners in competitions in the UK and Ireland. These include the current Northern Ireland Under-14 Girls Foil Champion, Lucy Taylor, who was recently selected to represent NI at the UK Schools Games.

This competition is to be held in May at the Olympic Fencing Venue as a test event.