Photo by Ian MacNicol\/Scottish Swimming<\/p>\n
STONEHAVEN, Scotland, September 4. SCOTLAND\u2019S best swimmers love interacting with their fan base, as evidenced today when Hannah Miley spent some time with Ken McKay after the Commonwealth Games champion received a heartfelt letter from the 85-year-old.<\/p>\n
McKay was married for 60 years to Elenor Gordon-McKay, who had been considered one of Scotland\u2019s finest female swimmers after winning Olympic bronze in 1952 and three golds at two Commonwealth Games. Gordon-McKay was set to present medals at the Commonwealth Games in late July, but passed away three weeks before the competition at 81 years old.<\/p>\n
According to an article in the Mearns Leader newspaper<\/a>, McKay wrote a letter to let Miley know how much watching her win in the 400 individual medley at the Commonwealth Games helped him get \u201cout of the gloom and despair\u201d he felt following his wife\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Miley said she was touched to know \u201cwhat my little swim meant to him at such a sad time in his life.\u201d The two spent time talking in person today at the Stonehaven pool, where McKay has been swimming for pretty much his entire life.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me that he\u2019d cried tears of joy rather than sadness as he watched me win that gold medal,\u201d Miley said. \u201cPretty soon I was the one in floods of tears reading Ken\u2019s beautiful, kind words.\u201d<\/p>\n Today’s meeting comes just a week after 200 breast Commonwealth champion Ross Murdoch met a 5-year-old fan<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch Miley\u2019s gold medal swim in the video player below:<\/p>\n