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Swimmer Archie Goodburn awarded André Reibig Memorial Medal

Scotland’s national sport scholarship programme, Winning Students 100 has announced that student-athlete Archie Goodburn is the recipient of this year’s André Reibig Memorial Medal. 

The prestigious award celebrates a student-athlete who demonstrates exceptional resilience, sporting excellence, and academic commitment.

The award recognises individuals who embody the spirit of dual-career success, overcoming adversity while achieving high levels of performance in both their sport and studies. 

The medal was created to honour the memory of André Reibig of the Scottish Funding Council, who was a passionate advocate and key advisor for the Winning Students programme. 

Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, University of Edinburgh swimmer Archie Goodburn has shown extraordinary determination. In addition to winning a British Medal and securing his place to represent Great Britain at the 2025 World University Games, he has also excelled academically. His achievements include being selected as a UK finalist for the Young Engineers Award for Innovation and Sustainability and taking a leadership role in a successful Chemical Engineering Design Project.

Archie’s accomplishments are made even more remarkable by the fact that he competed for Great Britain at the World Short Course Championships in December 2024 while undergoing treatment for a rare form of brain cancer. His perseverance and positive attitude have made him an inspirational figure within his university community.

Winning Students 100 Advisory Board Member Ciaran O’Brien said: “The Andre Reibig Memorial Medal was created to recognise student-athletes who not only achieve greatness but also inspire those around them through their character and resilience. Archie Goodburn perfectly embodies these qualities. His ability to compete at the highest level while facing immense personal challenges and maintaining his academic excellence is truly extraordinary. He is an inspiration to us all and a profoundly deserving recipient of this honour.

“As André himself put it: ‘The ripple effect of the Winning Student programme means that its benefits extend far beyond podiums and into colleges, universities and communities.’ Archie represents that far-reaching impact and is something which inspires a huge sense of pride.”

Archie Goodburn said: “Receiving the André Reibig Medal means a huge amount to me. André stood for giving athletes the chance to chase their ambitions in sport and education equally, and that’s something I’ve tried to live by. I’m hugely grateful for the invaluable support from Winning Students 100, and this recognition motivates me even more as I build towards the Commonwealth Games next summer.”

Jacqui Brasted, Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes at the Scottish Funding Council, said: “André was the driving force behind the Scottish Funding Council’s support for Winning Students when the programme began in 2008. He was passionate about sport as a positive force for people and communities, and the values behind the André Reibig Medal were really important to him.

“He would have been delighted in the choice of Archie as an athlete and as a young person who embodies those values. Archie’s achievements in swimming and in his studies have been remarkable, and we wish him the very best in achieving his Commonwealth Games ambitions.”

Archie is the second ever recipient of the medal - the inaugural honour was awarded to Paralympic gold medallist Faye Rogers in 2024. This year also saw the Reibig family give judoka Kirsten Taylor an honorable mention. The talented athlete, who shares André’s passion for the sport of judo, was also noted to have displayed outstanding commitment and a positive attitude in the face of resilience.

Winning Students 100 is Scotland's national sports scholarship programme, supporting talented student-athletes by helping them balance their studies with high-performance training and competition.

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council and sportscotland, the programme provides grants and works with colleges and universities to offer academic flexibility.