BERKSHIRE’S sporting heroes were honoured at the Get Berkshire Active Inspiration & Participation Awards at the Blue Mountain Golf & Conference Centre, Binfield last Friday.
The awards ceremony, which was hosted by BBC Radio Berkshire’s Tim Dellor recognised the contribution local people have made to inspiring others to take up physical activity, as well as individual and team excellence in sport.
Over 250 people, including 30 nominees and winners, were joined by a host of special guests, including former GB Paralympic rower Helene Raynsford, GB skeet shooter and BBC Young Sports Personality winner Amber Hill and kayaking bronze medallist Jon Schofield.
The Mayors from Reading, Slough and Wokingham were also on hand to present the awards to the winners.
Maidenhead-based SportsAble enjoyed unparalleled success winning the junior sports personality, the lifetime achievement and the kurling team of the year awards.
Tia Ruel, who has severe cerebral palsy that affects all four limbs and speech, won the junior award thanks to her successes in boccia and her work in promoting disability sport.
The 16-year-old from Wokingham is South East Regional BC1 Boccia Champion and has written a guidebook to help people understand the challenges faced by people with disabilities.
Her mother Melisssa Paulden was also nominated as coach of the year and said: “I’m really pleased that I was shortlisted.
“It raises the profile of boccia, which was one of the Paralympic sports that wasn’t televised in the Olympics.”
Speaking about her daughter’s success, she said: “I’m very proud, Tia’s earned the award and she’s worked really hard.”
She added: “I think Get Berkshire Active are leading the way nationally in how they promote disability sport.
“I don’t think there’s another county sports partnership like it, it’s so forward-thinking.”
John Jenkins was a popular winner of the lifetime achievement award. As president of SportsAble, Jenkins has delivered an incredible 38 years of volunteering at the club and is a unique character.
In 1981, SportsAble still didn’t have a base so he pushed himself 156 miles in his wheelchair from Bristol to London in seven days and raised £85,000 to start building work.
The Wokingham Borough Council-sponsored five-a-side football team H4U won project of the year for its work motivating and engaging young people within the community to increase their stability and employability.
Andy Knapper, from Tilehurst Bowls Club won sports personality of the year, having won the British Isles Bowls Series, two national championships and three county competitions last year.
He has also been shortlisted to represent England in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The full list of winners is:
Youth Award - Changing Lives - Reading Rockets
Club of the Year - Special People on Ice
Coach of the Year - Ash Smith - Berkshire LTA
Volunteer of the Year - Conrad Rowland - Slough Junior Athletics Club
Team of the Year - SportsAble - Kurling
Project of the Year - Here4U Care Leavers Football - Wokingham Borough Council
Lifetime Achievement - John Jenkins - SportsAble
Junior Sports Personality of the Year - Tia Ruel - SportsAble
Sports Personality of the Year - Andy Knapper - Tilehurst Bowls Club
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