It was fitting that, in Olympic Year, President Keith Bird had as his guest speaker an Olympian Boxer, Doug. Young of Jedburgh. Doug is one of the Borders' most famous sportsmen and he gave an excellent talk outlining his career. He left school and started work on a farm before being introduced to boxing at the club in Hawick aged 16. Being a big lad for his age he was classed as a light heavyweight but with all the training in the gym and on the road he soon moved up to heavyweight. In his first year he fought for a Scottish title at Govan but lost in the final. Having come to the notice of the national selectors he was capped against Denmark in 1982. In 1983 he won the Scottish heavyweight championship and the next year 1984 after winning the ABA British title he was selected for the British Team in the Los Angeles Olympics which was a lifetime achievement. He acquitted himself well. In 1986 he represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh. He signed professional terms in 1987 and had seven fights and was progressing well. Unfortunately that year while at work on the roads he was struck by a motor cycle and suffered horrendous injuries to his pelvis and right leg which terminated his boxing career and affects him to this day. He paid tribute to all who helped him at the start, none more so than Hawick Rotary's Past President Jock Thorburn. He then presented President Keith with a Hawick Boxing Club tie.
Past President Jock Thorburn gave a fitting vote of thanks saying that Doug was a true Olympian in the purest sense and was a tremendous ambassador and inspiration for his town, the Borders, and Scotland and for sport in general and boxing in particular.