Littlehampton Sports Awards 2016

 

Littlehampton Sports Person of the Year 2016 

There is a system in place whereby an athlete is automatically nominated for the Sports Person of the Year Awards if you have made a successful application for financial award based on you previous successes and the events you plan to enter the next year. so Based on my having won my age group in the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada in 2014 and in Chicago in 2015 I was given some financial aid toward the expense in competing in expensive races. 

My husband would have liked to have been with me for the Awards evening last night but he is away from home right now on a trip that was planned before the invitation came. So I did my best impression of a cat and groomed myself far beyond my usual sporting standards, washing and blow drying my normally unruly hair and lightly applying a little make up. Whilst I was in the final stages of glamorisation I was put in mind of a line from The Prince and the Showgirl Movie with Lawrence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe years ago when the Mother if the prince claimed that “When a woman is young she should wear lots of mascara and when one is old one should wear even more.” I held it down to two light coats.

Littlehampton has an ideal venue for occasions such as these awards and that is the New Millennium Chamber, in the Manor House in the town centre. It is a smart and grand as it sounds, the town Mayor, Ian Buckland did a sterling job of talking to everybody in a jolly and friendly fashion. The dining tables were well spread with wine and appetisers and more food was served in the interval. The hugely successful GB swimmer Sharon Davies was there to present the awards and half way through the evening spoke extremely well, giving her personal potted history, she was most interesting and very funny and entertaining. She also threw herself open to questions and answers and responded with dignity and humour.

 

 

I was seated on a most successful table, sitting next to me was Christine Merrington-Trice of Littlehampton Croquet Club and we never stopped talking until the ceremony began, I did enjoy her company and might even take her up on her invitation to go to one of their club meetings.  I was completely thunderstruck when I was announced as Sport person of the year again. I had not given it a thought that it was even possible to win twice but there my name was on two of the little shields around the smart oak shields. Christine won Coach of the Year and was equally astonished. Sharon Davies here with the adorable little junior Arruner, Mikey Hodgson, who loved every moment.

 

 

 

 

At the risk of being boring I have already begun my training for my intended main goal for next season, the World Championships in Rotterdam, Holland in September 2017 and have entered two qualifying events along with my husband, who is hopeful of gaining a place on the GBR team as he has so many times before. How serious we both are is reflected in our display of very forward planning. If I could manage another age group win, it would be my 10^th Age Group World Championship and that is what my main focus is fixed upon.

 

 

By winning my Age Group at Worthing Triathlon in August I am also qualified for the European Triathlon Championships in Kitzbuhel, Austria next year. We all have our disappointments when an injury pops up or a nasty bug strikes and prevents us from doing all that we had planned. I suffered a bug that I could not shake off mid season this year that even though I had travelled to Poland to compete, on the day it was clear that I was not up to it and rather than bring myself down further the decision was made to drop out of that race. It was a bitter blow but better to safe yourself for another day if you have any sense.

 

The challenge I had in mind was to try to become the oldest athlete to complete an Ironman 70.3 race, probably better known as a half Ironman. In the past I have competed in eighteen full Ironman races and feel that I have no case to answer to as to why I do not feel the need to enter any more or that gruelling distance. Yesterday I mentioned Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and one of the quotes from that book was that there is no shame in trying and failing, the only failing is to stop trying to achieve your aim. My husband also thinks that I should give the half distance another shot. We have both looked at Elsinore, Denmark. The mind instantly connects that to Shakespeare’s Hamlet of course.   

Below is the full list of results for the awards, kindly sent to me by the ever helpful and kind Becky Holloway who is the Events & publicity manager.

 

Littlehampton Sports Forum Sports Awards

Held at the New Millennium Chamber, Manor House, Littlehampton. Hosted by Chair of the Sports Forum Cllr Billy Blanchard-Cooper. Guest speaker, former Olympic & Commonwealth medalist - Sharron Davies MBE 

Littlehampton Sports Forum, Sports Awards Winners  

Coach of the Year – Sponsored by C&M Trophies

Christine Merrington-Trice of Littlehampton Croquet Club

Administrator of the Year – Sponsored by Going Spare

Alan Pyant & Chris Staight of Littlehampton Cricket Club

Contribution to Disabled Sport – Sponsored by FA Holland & Son

Sandy Fell – works with all of the Littlehampton Schools to create sporting opportunities for children with special educational needs and physical disabilities.

Contribution to Youth Sport – Sponsored by Dizzy: Support for Diabetes

Kaminari Kickboxing for their work with young people in Littlehampton

Young Sportsperson of the year – Sponsored by Littlehampton Traders partnership

Jessica Baker – Former Dance Industry student, who has been accepted to the Doreen Bird College of Dance. (Award accepted by her parents)

*Certificate of commendation to Madison Walker – Littlehampton Swimming Club

Sports Team of the Year – Sponsored by Mewsbrook Park Café

Littlehampton Badminton Club men’s Combi team

* Certificate of commendation to Arunners

Youth Sports Team of the year – Sponsored by Bah Humbug Sweets

Arunners Jrs (Including Mikey Hodgson)

Unsung Hero Award – Sponsored by Mewsbrook Park Café

Ben Horley – Littlehampton Sports field Groundsman

Sports person of the Year Award – Sponsored by the Coco Lounge

Daphne Belt – 9 times world champion triathlete for her age group. Also won the award in 2014

Mayor’s Award for Lifetime Contribution to Sport in Littlehampton

John Shepherd – Littlehampton Badminton and Squash Club for his years of hard work and dedication to make the club the success it is today.

The Sports Forum meets four times a year and is open to all Littlehampton Sports clubs and teams, The next meeting is on Monday 7^th November.

Contact: ltc@littlehampton-tc.gov.uk for information.