STEVENSTON super swimmer Danielle Joyce has capped off a fantastic year by picking up a top award at a swanky bash on Friday night.

Stevenston’s Danii, who is just 19, was awarded the Scottish Women in Sport top award of Sportswoman of the Year 2015 at the prestigious ceremony held at Hampden Park on Friday night.

Danielle, who left Auchenharvie Academy as Head Girl in August 2014, proudly carried the Commonwealth Baton through the town before heading to study Sport and Exercise science at Stirling University where she trains under the watchful eye of her coach Bradley Hay.

Danielle, who is almost profoundly deaf, has had an amazing 12 months setting Deaf World Records at several major championships, which included mainstream events such as the Scottish Nationals and her most recent, the British University Championships where she broke her own 50 metres backstroke World Record just two weeks ago.

Her highlight though is without doubt her success at the recent Deaf World Championships in the USA where she struck gold.

Competing in the searing heat of San Antonio, Texas she broke the 100 metres backstroke World record, this time under the guidance of GB Deaf coach Sam Chamberlain.

Danii has also found time to inspire many other youngsters by becoming a Deaf Sports Ambassador and the National Deaf Children’s Societies first Swimming Ambassador and giving inspirational talks at the Deaf Learners Conference in Glasgow.

What makes her achievements more remarkable is that when Danielle competes against the top countries in Deaf Sport, such as Russia, they are treated identically to full Olympic or Paralympic athletes and she does so without any Government funding.

Danii has to raise almost all her own funds to represent her country at these events as deaf sport is treated differently from other disabilities.

Danielle only found out she had been shortlisted for the award recently when she was interviewed at the North Ayrshire Community Sports Awards as a guest speaker by Alison Walker a trustee of the Scottish Women in Sport.

Danii was shocked at winning the award as she was up against Team GB athletes Lynsey Sharp and Laura Muir which shows the calibre of the event.

Although just 19 years of age she shows a great maturity and is focused on being all she can be while helping others along the way.

And that point has not been missed locally when she was awarded the Provosts Civic Pride Award for Sport and Nationally when she was crowned GB Young Deaf Sports Personality of the year.

Danielle would like to thank everyone who has supported her especially her family who work tirelessly raising funds for her.

She is now looking forward to the Deaflympics in Turkey 2017 where she hopes to complete her remarkable success with a gold medal.

The award was sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland and it was presented by Yvonne Greeves from RBS.