Commonwealth Games Scotland Honorary Medical Advisor Joan Watt has been awarded an Order of Merit by the Commonwealth Games Federation in recognition of her outstanding service to sport and a 45 year commitment to the Games movement.

A chartered physiotherapist, Joan contributed at her first Commonwealth Games as a Village Physiotherapist in 1970. Subsequently, Joan served the Scottish Commonwealth Games team as a physiotherapist at each Games from 1982 to 2002, taking the role of Senior Physiotherapist in 1994 and Joint Head Physiotherapist in 1998. In 2002 Joan took on the role of Head of Medical Services, based at the National Shooting Centre at Bisley, which was followed by two Games as Team Leader for Shooting at both 2006 Melbourne and Delhi 2010.

Appointed to the Commonwealth Games Scotland Board in 2003 as Honorary Medical Adviser, Joan was the first non-doctor to take this post. She was the Vice Chair of the Medical Group for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid and a member of the Medical Advisory Group for those Games.

Joan has also served as lead physiotherapist at Olympic Games, World and European Championships for athleti
cs and shooting, amongst other sports. Instrumental in establishing the British Sports Massage Association, she helped set up the Chartered Physiotherapists in Massage Therapy professional network and has been active in Anti-Doping education and testing for many years. A former Chairperson of Scottish Athletics, Joan was also the organisation’s first female President.

Congratulating Joan on the award, Paul Bush OBE, Chair at Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “I am delighted that Joan’s 45 year service to Commonwealth sport, and to Scotland’s Games teams in particular, is being recognised in this way. Her commitment has been truly remarkable and, having had the privilege of working with her on many occasions, this award could not go to a more deserving person.”