Falkirk man earns Great Scot Award for helping Scottish judo star Stephanie Inglis

Inverness judo star Stephanie Inglis got to say thank you to her childhood friend last night as she presented him with this year’s Great Scot Award.

Khalid Ghelan, from Falkirk, picked up the prize for his efforts to raise cash for Stephanie’s medical bills after she came off a motorbike and was left with serious head injuries in Vietnam earlier this year.

The 27-year-old was given just a one per cent chance of survival after medics assessed her injuries and ended up having to pay out thousands in medical expenses after her insurance company claimed she wasn’t covered under her policy.

Khalid set up an online fundraising page to help the Inglis family cover the costs collecting more than £327,000 in a matter of weeks.

The pair met at school in the Highlands and have been friends throughout Stephanie’s career which saw her win silver the at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Unsung hero awards were also handed out during last night’s ceremony in Glasgow with the biggest applause of the night going to the family of murdered Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah.

Rosyth woman, Natalie Harrison was recognised after saving a woman’s life on the River Thames back in July, Dumbarton man Charles MacGregor was also recognised, along with his mum Kathleen, for setting up the Joan MacGregor Matrimonial Fund to help couple realise their dying wish to marry in hospital and Glasgow schoolboy Andrew Paton was also given unsung hero status after rescuing his grandad Sandy Malcolm from the water in Loch Fyne after he was thrown from a powerboat in September.

• Scottish News