Sports scholar Alex set to pursue boccia dream

A University of Stirling sports scholar is a step closer to realising his dream of becoming a world-class boccia player after being selected for the UK Talent Transition Squad.

Alex Medley, from Auchterarder, joins the Boccia UK programme which is designed to develop young talent in the Paralympic sport and support athletes to reach the highest level.

The 20-year-old is a University of Stirling and Winning Students 100 scholar, enabling him to train and compete in high-performance sport while studying Mathematics.

David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “We are proud to hear of Alex’s selection for the Boccia UK Talent Transition Squad. Alex is a talented individual who has the potential to go far in his sport, and we are delighted he’s based here at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. We wish Alex all the best as he continues to pursue an exciting future in boccia, alongside his degree.”

Alex Medley was introduced to boccia at a multi-sports day, organised by Scottish Disability Sport.

Similar to bowls, boccia requires players to throw, roll or kick coloured balls as close as possible to a white target ball, known as the jack. Testing players’ muscle control, strategy and accuracy, the sport is played individually, as pairs or in teams of three over a set number of ends. Each side has six balls an end, with the winner the one with the most points at the end of a match.

Alex was 10 years old when he was first introduced to boccia at a multi-sports day organised by Scottish Disability Sport. In October, he made his Boccia UK debut at the Olbia Challenger in Italy, finishing sixth having won all his pool matches.

Alex said: “Last season felt very successful. I’m proud of how I performed but, at the time, I think I was most ecstatic about wearing GB kit and representing Great Britain for the first time.”

As well as benefitting from the sports scholarship at the University, which provides access to world-class sports facilities, academic flexibility and strength and conditioning, Alex is supported by Scottish Disability Sport and coached by Peter McGuire, who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Alex added: “I’m really looking forward to learning different skills and absorbing knowledge from the coaches and players around me and applying it to my own game. Making it onto the Boccia UK Talent Transition Squad is a brilliant step forward. I’m just breaking into the international level and this will really help me push forward.”

Talent Transition Squad

Alex begins his 2026 season at the Northern Ireland Challenger in March.

The Talent Transition Squad programme is led by Boccia UK and is supported by Boccia England, Disability Sport Northern Ireland, Scottish Disability Sport and Disability Sport Wales.

Liz Fisher, Head of Performance Pathway at Boccia UK, said: “Alex has demonstrated solid potential to progress and compete at world-class events. He performed brilliantly on his debut in Olbia and approached the tournament with a great deal of maturity. What we see in Alex is an ability to think strategically which is so crucial in this sport. The best boccia players are always thinking a few moves ahead and assessing different outcomes.

“We’re really looking forward to working more closely with him, providing him with performance coaching and more opportunities to compete at an international level.”