Two Paralympic champions with connections to West Fife have been selected to compete at the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
Owen Miller and Ben Sandilands will make their debuts at the prestigious event this summer after being picked by Team Scotland.
Winners of the T20 1500 metres at the delayed Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, and the Games in Paris three years later, respectively, they are in a squad of eight para athletes for the event in Glasgow.
Dunfermline-born Owen, 34, a former Woodmill High School pupil, has been competing in the sport since 2006 and has enjoyed plenty of success on the track.
The Fife AC star made his Great Britain debut at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai, finishing sixth, before competing in Tokyo.
At his first Paralympics, he raced to a sensational gold medal in a time of three minutes and 54.57 seconds, and said afterwards that he "wanted to show everybody I could do it".
Following his Paralympic Games success, Owen was made an MBE, and then went on to race at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, placing seventh.
He earned selection for the same event a year later, which was initially scheduled for 2021, but was moved in order to avoid clashing with the Tokyo Paralympics.
However, at a training camp in the build-up, he picked up an injury that ruled him out of both that competition and the chance to defend his Paralympic Games title in Paris three months later.
The Fife AC star is coached by Steve Doig, who runs a training group at Pitreavie that includes his club-mate, and fellow champion Paralympian Ben.
Born in Kirkcaldy, the 22-year-old won gold on his GB debut three years ago, at the World Para Athletics Championships, which took place in Paris.
At the age of only 19, he set a championship record of 3:52.42 to claim the title, before returning to the French capital the following year to claim Paralympic glory.
Ben ran an incredible world record time for the T20 classification, defined as being for athletes with an intellectual impairment, of 3:45.40 to win the gold medal.
After his success, he said that he initially "didn't have a clue" that he'd set a new global record, but "did think I could come away with a medal".
He was then selected for last year's World Para Athletics Championship, held in New Delhi, India, but a hamstring injury, which occurred in his final training session before the event, forced him to pull out.
That then saw his attention turn to the Commonwealth Games and, speaking of his selection, Ben said: "I’m really excited.
"It’s my first Commonwealth Games and it’s been something I’ve been dreaming about.
"I’m excited to compete and want to win a medal. That would be incredible."
Steven Bryce, another men's T20 1500m competitor, who is also part of the Pitreavie training group, has also been included in the Commonwealth Games squad.
The trio are joined by Sean Frame (men's 1500m, T54), Steven Stone (men's long jump, T20), Alexander Thomson (men's 100m, T38), Joanna Robertson (women's 1500m, T54), and Melanie Woods (women's 1500m and 400m, T54).
Elinor Middlemiss MBE, Team Scotland's Chef de Mission, added: "It’s brilliant to welcome such a strong group of athletes to Team Scotland, from those with a proven track record on the global stage to those competing at a major multi-sport event for the first time.
"With under three months to go, Team Scotland is really taking shape and I’m looking forward to seeing them compete in front of a strong Scottish support in Glasgow."
Ben and Owen join Inverkeithing para powerlifter Finlay Davidson, who will be the first Scottish athlete to compete for a medal, and Dunfermline bowlers, Sophie McGrouther and Sarah Jane Ewing, in representing Scotland in Glasgow.
The Games begin on July 23, running until August 2, with athletics and para athletics taking place at Scotstoun Stadium between July 27 and August 1.
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