Wife of Larkhall snooker ace completes degree against the odds

Jan 7 2010 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

THE wife of Larkhall snooker ace Graeme Dott has revealed this week that a promise to her dying father drove her on to complete her nursing degree.

Elaine Dott (28) recently earned her diploma in adult nursing from the University of the West of Scotland after four years’ study at the Hamilton campus.

She revealed she promised her father Alex Lambie, who died of cancer three years ago, that she would finish her degree, which made her even more determined to complete it.

Elaine began the course in August 2005 but after what she described as a rollercoaster few years, she has taken longer to complete it than she imagined.

She said: “It’s a three-year course but I took time off after the death of my father. I then took more time out to have my daughter Lucy, who is now one year old.

“It has been a rollercoaster few years to say the least, having lost my dad and having a miscarriage not long after that but I managed to stick to the course and get through it.

“There has been a lot going on in that time.”

Alex Lambie died in December 2006 after battling kidney cancer.

Elaine said that it was a promise she made to Alex - who was also Graeme’s manager - that drove her on.

She explained: “My dad’s death hit us all like a ton of bricks. Graeme was particularly hurt by it as he was his manager and they were very close. I promised my dad before he died that I would stick in and complete the course so that put a wee fight in me to motivate myself and see it out.”

In January 2007, the Advertiser reported that a pregnant Elaine had suffered a cancer scare when a scan showed what the doctors thought were tumours.

However, the family were relieved after they turned out to be fluid-filled cysts.

Elaine added: “It turned out to be nothing, but unfortunately we lost that pregnancy anyway.”

Elaine now works as an agency nurse in the three main hospitals in Lanarkshire.

She said: “Due to Graham’s busy schedule, I’m a housewife firstly, looking after the children when he is away.

“But when he is back, I get a lot of shifts done. It’s the only way I can do it. It gives me some independence.

“Graham then looks after the kids. We’re like a tag team, and he is pretty hands-on.”

Graeme said: “We’re all obviously very happy for Elaine. It’s a great achievement.

“It was a long course, and it took her almost five years of studying and hard work at college to get there. I’m very proud of her.”

Graeme became world snooker champion in 2006 after beating Peter Ebdon 18-14 in an epic final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

Elaine and Graeme also have a five-year-old son, named Lewis.