By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 12:19, Monday, 03 September 2012

A BROTHER and sister from Newcastleton, north east of Longtown, won medals within an hour of each other in the Paralympic Games last night.

Visually-impaired sprinter Libby Clegg won silver in the T12 100 metres shortly after her younger brother, James, won a bronze in the swimming pool in the S12 100m butterfly.

She told reporters: “It was fantastic to find out he’d got bronze, especially as he was only really coming for the experience. I’m very proud of him. It definitely lifted me.”

Libby, 22, and James, 18, have the same congenital eye condition, Stargardt’s macular dystrophy.

Libby has only slight peripheral vision in her left eye and is registered blind.

She won silver in the same event at the Beijing Paralympics.

Last night she broke the European record with a time of 12.13 seconds but finished behind China’s Guohua Zhou.

She has hopes of another medal in the T12 200 metres later in the week.

Although born in Cheshire, Libby grew up in Newcastleton and is now based in Loughborough, where she trains along sighted athletes.

Her father Peter still lives in Newcastleton and her mother Moira Beattie lives in Langholm.

Moira had to run from the aquatics centre to the Olympic stadium to see both children in their respective finals.

Partially-sighted athletes run with a guide – Libby's is Mikail Huggins.

A rope is attached from her left hand to his right hand. It is crucial that he matches her stride for stride because she would slow down if they ran out of sequence.

First published at 11:27, Monday, 03 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk