FOR the past 12 years Scots pro skater Mark Hanretty has been proudly flying the flag for his country on hit ITV show Dancing On Ice.
But the dad-of-two admitted one of his proudest moments was attending last year’s Pride of Scotland Awards where he was moved to tears by his nation’s unsung heroes.
Mark, who is currently topping the Dancing on Ice leaderboard with celebrity partner Michaela Strachan, said hearing the winners’ stories made him thrilled to be Scottish.
As we begin our search for this year’s Pride of Scotland nominees, the 39-year-old from Erskine, Renfrewshire, stressed the importance of honouring the nation’s everyday heroes.
Two-time British bronze medallist Mark said: “I am so proud to have been flying the flag for Scotland on Dancing on Ice for all these years as I love my homeland and my heritage so much.
“Being invited to the 2024 Pride of Scotland Awards was a real honour and it turned out to be one of the most inspirational and memorable nights of my life.
“From meeting Wilson the Shetland therapy pony, whose tiny kilt matched my tartan trews, to hearing the heart-wrenching winners’ stories – it was just phenomenal.”
Mark, who is dad to Lukasz, 11 and Liola, seven, added: “I spent the night in tears. As a dad it was the Children and Teenagers of Courage which got me the most.
“Listening as brave schoolgirls Kaylynn Donald and Abbie Jarvis spoke about their horrific bullying experiences broke my heart. Despite what they have been through, they are doing everything they can to help other victims of youth violence which is just incredible.
“Young footballer Lochlan Murdoch’s story also struck a chord with me as a skating coach as he has helped set up a charity to educate coaches about Type 1 diabetes.
“And I don’t forget I will ever forget the moment it was revealed firefighter John Aitchison had set up Everest’s first fire and rescue service.”
Mark, who is married to skating instructor Kathy, 45, said: “In this social media age, where everyone is constantly attached to their phones it’s important to remember the power of connection within our communities.
“I have watched the Pride of Britain for years and am delighted Scotland now has its own awards as our country is packed full of wonderful humans doing extraordinary things and they deserve to be recognised.
“No matter where you go in the world you are bound to run into a Scot who is making a difference or helping others. It’s in Scotland’s nature to do everything quietly but these awards allow good deeds to be celebrated in a spectacular way.”
Mark, who has just announced this will be his last season on Dancing on Ice, has partnered a host of celebrities including DJ Adele Roberts, paralympian Libby Clegg, ex-Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and Loose Woman Nadia Sawalha.
Despite making it to the final several times he is yet to win the show but believes he is in with a chance with Countryfile and The Really Wild Show presenter Michaela Strachan.
Mark, who will be accompanying Torvill and Dean on their farewell tour, said: “I would love to go out on a high with a win. Before the show started Michaela was voted the most likely to go out but we topped the scoreboard.
“She’s nearly 60 but like Libby who was visually impaired and Adele who had a stoma she is showing that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It’s early days but I think we are in with a shot.
“And how good would it be to attend the Pride of Scotland Awards this year as the first Scottish winner of Dancing on Ice? – here’s hoping.”
Skating commentator Mark, who would love to be the first pro-skater to do Dancing on Ice, wants to encourage Scotland to get nominating for Pride.
He said: “There are so many Scots who deserve to be recognised. Folk like previous winner Lucy Lintott Smith who was the youngest person in Scotland to be diagnosed with MND and has gone on to have three children.
“My wife’s dad died last year from MND so I know first hand how cruel the disease can be and what Lucy is doing to inspire other sufferers is just incredible.”
We launched nominations for this year’s awards on Wednesday. We want to hear about people who have made a difference in our local communities and beyond.
The combination of big hearts and big stars have made the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards with P&O Cruises – the People’s Oscars – a runaway success.
The details of this year’s ceremony in Glasgow, hosted by Elaine C Smith and Sanjeev Kohli, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Host Sanjeev Kohli said “Pride of Scotland celebrates the best of people & the best in people. Every year it is an utter privilege to meet these wonderful humans & help shine a light on their achievements.”
Host Elaine C Smith added: “Pride of Scotland is one of my favourite nights of the year and I feel privileged to be back as host. I look forward to honouring the inspirational people who are quietly making a difference to their communities and changing lives in Scotland. These are the folk who make me proud to be a Scot and their selfless achievements need to be shouted from the rooftops.”
David Dick, Editor In Chief of Reach (Scotland) said “We’re excited to celebrate and honour another fantastic group of ordinary Scots doing extraordinary things. We’re delighted to be joined by our new partners P&O Cruises and want to thank them for helping make Pride of Scotland one of the biggest events of the year.”
Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow added: “P&O Cruises welcomes many guests from Scotland each year so we are honoured to be a part of one of the most important events on the Scottish calendar. I am delighted that through Pride of Scotland we can recognise and celebrate the country’s everyday heroes.”
HOW TO NOMINATE
YOU can nominate an unsung hero for a Pride of Scotland Award with P&O Cruises, by going to the prideofscotland.org website.
The closing date is Sunday, March 16, 2025.
P&O CRUISES INSPIRATION AWARD – Celebrating a remarkable individual or group who inspire everyone around them, or the wider world, with their positive spirit and awe-inspiring journey to achieve, or overcome adversity. They may deserve recognition for an extraordinary reaction to a defining or pivotal moment, or perhaps their actions have had an extraordinary impact.
OUTSTANDING BRAVERY – For adults who risk their own safety to help others in danger.
CHILD/TEENAGER OF COURAGE – For battling against the odds to help others or putting themselves at risk to save lives.
YOUNG FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR – To reward a person aged 16 or under for inspirational charity work.
EMERGENCY SERVICES AWARD – For police, fire, ambulance, paramedics or air, sea or mountain rescue who have gone beyond the call of duty to help others.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT – To recognise far-reaching achievement, possibly on a national or international scale.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION – For achievements not covered in other categories, such as inspiring carers, campaigners and members of the Armed Forces.
