50 years ago, Lachie Stewart beat the odds to win the first ever Commonwealth Games 10,000m in front of a delighted crowd at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium.

But rather than reflecting on his astonishing win over world champion Australia’s Ron Clarke on the anniversary of his triumph, the 78-year-old has been having to adjust to life after the loss of the lower half of his leg earlier this summer.

The West Dumbartonshire pensioner recently told BBC Sport Scotland that after the removal of a toe did not take away the ‘unbelievable pain’ of a diabetes-related ulcer which failed to heal, the doctors gave him a choice: to remove his leg below the knee, or deal with the pain.

For Stewart, four time Scottish 10-mile champion, four time six-mile champion and three time three-mile champion, the choice was clear: "I said to him right away, just take the bottom of the leg off."

The member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame had the operation just a few days after the golden anniversary of his gold-medal win, during which he took 20 seconds off his PB to boot.  "I just adapted to it, but it was one of those things. It had to be done." 

Stewart’s decades in sport have given him the determination to take the set-back in his stride: "I don't have any hang ups about it. I mean the leg’s gone and I’ve got my prosthetic leg. I’m not walking as much as I should be with it, but I can walk with it."

Image courtesy: Scottish Sport Hall of Fame