STEVENSTON swimming superstar Danielle Joyce picked up a prestigious award at the weekend.

The 22-year-old Deaflympic gold medallist picked up the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year 2018 award held in the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester on Saturday night.

The event is held every two years and recognising the achievements of the athletes and coaches in that period.

It has been an amazing two years for Danielle with highlights which included two gold medallist at the Deaflympics, most decorated GB athlete at the games, Scottish Swimming & Scottish Disability Sports Disability Swimmer of the year & six Deaf World Records.

Outside the pool Danielle graduated from Stirling University with a top Sports Science degree and recently hit the local news having rescued a drowning dog from the sea at Saltcoats only because of her swimming ability having previously swam open water from Cumbrae to Largs for charity.

Danielle works part time as a gym instructor at the Portal leisure centre in Irvine as well as being a personal trainer as she sets her sights on next years Deaf World championships which will be held in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Danielle’s dad Jim is the chairman of GB Deaf swimming and was rightly very proud of her achievements on a night which was a huge success for the swimming as they also scooped Team of the year and Coach of the year awards.