Dancing on Ice skater Mark Hanretty hails Pride of Scotland's Unsung Heroes
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
