Shropshire Energize Awards 2016: Sport success honoured

From young volunteers to paralympians, the Shropshire Energize Awards paid tribute to sportsmen and women and those who work tirelessly to help others be more active.

Olympic legend, Eddie the Eagle Edwards, was guest of honour at the event at Telford's International Centre.

Britain's only Olympic ski-jumper regaled the audience with tales of how he learnt how to ski jump with no money, eating leftovers and using old equipment. He said he was helped by international teams training at the same site as him, who gave him various pieces of equipment and even took food from their hotels for him as he slept in his car.

Performance of the Year: Winner Nick Beighton para-canoeist; Nominated: John Walker, para-archer and Claire Martin, running.

Junior Sports Performance of the Year: Winner Adam Summers from Astons Kickboxing Academy; Nominated: Gabriel Adams from snowboarding GB Board Cross Team and Freya Anderson from Ellesmere College Titans Swimming Club.

Coach of the Year: Winner Alan Bircher, swimming coach for Ellesmere Titans Swimming Club; Nominated: John Donegan, badminton coach for Be Active and Penny McCann, dance coach for Oak Tree Dance Studio.

Community Club of the Year: Winner Ellesmere College Titans; Nominated: Andy Crozier, Lawley Running Club and Dan Braddock, Newport Cycling Club.

Community Project of the Year: Winner Gary Insell, Be Active; Nominated: Clare Chick, Newport Shropshire Breeze Cycling and Fiona Smith, Swimming after Surgery.

Volunteer of the Year: Winner Andy Crozier from Lawley Running Club; Nominated: Oliver Griffiths, from Calverhall Cricket Club and Derek Gwilt from Sentinal Cricket Cub.

Young Volunteer of the Year: Winner Football coach Anna Overton from Bridgnorth Spartans FC; Nominated: Sam Heenan from AKA Astons Kickboxing Academy and Ethan Lowe from JBS Martial Arts Academy.

Active Primary School of the Year: Winner Worfield Endowed Primary School; Nominated: St Laurences Primary School and St Laurences Primary School.

Employer of the Year: Winner J&PR.

Active Secondary School of the Year: Winner Lacon Childe School; Nominated: Idsall School, Southall Special School.

The Power of Sport Award: Winner Darren Ford.

The William Penny Brookes Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in Sport and Physical Activity: Winner Jane Barker.

"I am just as excited putting a pair of skis on now as I was then. I love my sport. It was my dream to get to those Olympics and I made my dream come true. So if you have a dream, hold onto it and it may just come true," he told the audience.

David Sherratt, chairman of Energize, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said the awards were to celebrate the hard work and successes of local sports people, innovative projects, workplaces, coaches and volunteers who helped communities improve their wellbeing through sport and physical activity.

"It's not just the winners and runners-up who we celebrate. We also salute everyone who has been nominated and the wider community – a significant proportion of which is voluntary – without whom most sporting and physical activities wouldn't take place."

The awards evening welcomed two Rio Paralympians to the ceremony, Newport archer, John Walker, who won two gold medals, and canoeist, Nick Beighton.

Nick, from Shrewsbury, won the Sports Performance of the Year award. He said training for the Paralympics had been three years of constant hard work and pressure, adding: "You are in a bubble in the Paralympics and you don't appreciate the impact that what you have done has had on your community."

The former Army Captain lost both legs in Afghanistan and has taken up the physical sport of canoeing. He won a bronze medal at the Rio Paralympic Games. Before then he took part in the UK Beeline challenge to get from Lands End to John O Groats in a straight line, kayaking, cycling and hiking.

John, from Newport, said he had still not come back down to earth after winning his two gold medals. He praised the Energize awards for recognising the hard work of volunteers.

Winner of the Junior Sports Performance of the Year was Adam Summers who has been chosen to represent GB in his sport of kickboxing.

He has represented his club at competitions across the UK and Europe and last November become World Champion in his height in a competition in Malta.

Coach of the Year was Alan Bircher who has transformed the Ellesmere Titans Swimming club through, the judges said, his excellent work ethic.

After only four years he has seen success for his swimmers at junior championships and at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

His talent and respect from those he coaches has made him a regular member of the GB coaching team. He has also set up a coaching network in the county to help support other coaches. Alan said the award was for all the swimmers who trained so hard at the Titans club.

Ellesmere College Titans also won Community Club of the Year for its work to save Ellesmere Primary School's pool from closure, enhancing the facilities and relocating several squads there.

Volunteer of the Year was Andy Crozier who has worked tirelessly over the last three years with Lawley Running Club. His aim is to ensure that everyone who turns up, regardless of age and ability, has a safe and rewarding experience.

He organises the Lawley Fun Run and Badger trail and is also a run director for the Telford Park Run.

His love of running began four years ago when, touching 20 stone he realised he had to lose weight. He says he loves being healthy and giving back to the running community.

"I don't see what I do as volunteering, I do it because I love running and the running community. I love seeing other people go from beginners to being able to run five kilometres."

Young Volunteer of the Year was named as football coach Anna Overton, a fully qualified referee. Anna coaches with Bridgnorth Spartans. She has been training the under 11 girls since September 2015 and assistant managed the under seven boys who have now become her team.

She refereed a Barclays Premier League tournament a year ago and was named one of the best young officials at the event. She is also a member of the Shropshire FA Youth Council.

This year saw two new awards, recognising the work happening in local schools.

Worfield Endowed Primary School was named Active Primary School of the Year. The school provides a wide variety of sporting opportunities for those who want to compete and those who want to take part for enjoyment.

The school has achieved the school games gold mark. A sport crew committee of young people helps to plan events and activities. The school has good links with clubs and helps gifted students.

Teacher, Jo Berrow, said the eight strong sports crew did an amazing job and were real leaders.

"It is wonderful to see not only the children who want to compete but those who simply want to take part achieving and enjoying themselves."

Active Secondary School of the Year was Lacon Childe School. The school's This Girl Can initiative encourages girls to take part in a wide variety of activities and the school also runs Sportsability sessions. The school has links with the community through clubs and local sporting clubs and events.

The Power of Sport Award was awarded to Darren Ford.

Last year Darren Ford was timid and reserved, having grown up with Aspergers. But he wanted to find an activity to get involved in and that led to him joining the Inclusively Fit Project.

Darren enrolled as a volunteer on the buddy programme, giving one-to-one support to individuals with varying needs and disabilities.

Over the past 12 months he has given up to two hours a week to the programme motivating and encouraging others.

Eddie the Eagle has landed – again!

It was almost a quarter of a century ago when ski-jumping legend Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards arrived in Telford to officially open a new indoor ski-slope.

In 1992, he was the guest of honour as he swapped the terrifying heights of the Olympic ski slopes for less ambitious terrain at Stafford Park's Telford World of Snow.

It claimed to be the world's first "real-snow" indoor ski-slope – and it was there he met Telford & Wrekin Councillor Hilda Rhodes, who was then Wrekin Council's chairwoman. The pair were reunited on Thursday when Edwards visited Telford Snowboard and Ski Centre to ski with Madeley Academy pupils and talk about his career.

And to mark the occasion they struck the same pose as they did 24 years ago. Councillor Rhodes, who represents the Oakengates and Ketley Bank ward, said: "I saw Eddie as I was going through my scrap book and then I found out he was coming to Telford.

"I thought I had to meet him again. It was a golden opportunity. I was so excited. He's such a nice chap, very down to earth.It's very nice to have him back in Telford."

Recalling their first meeting, she said: "The ski-slope at Stafford Park was very, very small. They used to have kiddies snow parties there. They wanted someone to open it and Eddie came.

"He was so obliging. It's a pity really that it isn't there anymore."

During his visit to Telford World of Snow, Edwards skied down the ramp and tried a few jumps before pronouncing the surface perfect.

The 30-metre slope was part of the research and development centre of Telford firm Acer-Snowmec, a pioneer in creating life-like snow for use indoors.

It was managed by the Telford Trust, a spin-off from Wrekin District Council, but it is thought that it closed in 2002.

Edwards, whose life was depicted in the hit movie this year of the same name, said he remembered his visit to officially open the facility.

The 52-year-old, who comes from Cheltenham, said: "I remember being there. It was a small, small venue.

"Then they opened the one in Tamworth which was much bigger."

During his visit to Telford Snowboard and Ski Centre in Madeley on Thursday, Edwards also took part in a question and answer session with members of the public.

He recalled making his longest jump – over 392ft – in Finland in 1997 and beginning his journey into skiing at the age of 13 when he was taken on a school trip.

He also revealed he had broken his neck and back in a nasty skiing accident in Italy – the worse one he has had – when he was 17.

Edwards also spoke about the Eddie the Eagle film, which was released in March.

"I never dreamed that they would make a film about my life," he said.

"They really captured the heart and spirit of my journey. I've seen the film 11 times now. It still makes me cry."

But comparing the film with reality, he added: "I didn't get drunk, like in the film, and miss the opening ceremony.

"That was the realisation of my dream. It was a dream of mine to get there.

"To see the Olympic flame being lit was the pinnacle of my life as a sportsman."

Speaking about his visit to the Madeley ski-slope, ski-centre manager James Craig said: "It was a real privilege. He's obviously a legend in the sport and very well known.

"Hopefully from that we can raise awareness of snow sports."

Edwards rose to prominence on British TV screens at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

He became the first competitor since 1929 to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping.

Despite coming last in both the 70m and 90m events, he became an international phenomenon and remains today a national record holder for British ski jumping.