Stoltman brothers return to UHI Inverness as graduation guest speakers

HIGHLAND strongman stars Luke and Tom Stoltman will be the guest speakers at the UHI Inverness graduation and awards ceremony next week.

The event at Eden Court Theatre on Thursday, 29 September is the first formal graduation to be held by UHI Inverness since 2019.

Approximately 800 people, including graduates and their guests, will attend the gathering to celebrate the achievements of students who overcame the challenges of the Covid-19 restrictions to gain their qualifications.

Luke and Tom, known as the world’s strongest brothers, are both former students. They took up weight training as teenagers and have gone on to take the strongman world by storm.

Tom won the 2021 World’s Strongest Man title and also took the crown of Britain’s Strongest Man, which completed a Stoltman clean sweep in the sport with big brother and mentor Luke winning Europe’s Strongest Man. This year Tom retained the World and British titles and Luke narrowly missed out on retaining his Europe’s Strongest Man crown, finishing a credible second.

Professor Chris O’Neil, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI Inverness, said: “Our graduation ceremony is a very special day for our students, their friends and family. We are delighted to return to Eden Court this year to celebrate with them after the disruption caused by Covid. The graduates of 2022 have a lot to be proud of - they demonstrated amazing resilience and determination by adapting their studies in unprecedented times.”

The graduation ceremony will be followed by a celebratory reception at the Inverness Campus.