Britain’s Paralympians have been recognised for their outstanding achievements this summer by winning the main awards at their regional BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Among the winners of the main prize is 14-year-old Ellie Simmonds who was this weekend named BBC Midlands Sports Personality of the Year and Anne Dunham, who was crowned BBC West Sports Personality of the Year.
Rowing gold medallist Helene Raynsford, who won the first ever Paralympic rowing gold at this summers Games, was also recognised in her region, picking up the BBC South Sportswomen of the Year Award.
Fourteen year-old Ellie Simmonds was recognised for her outstanding performance at the Beijing Paralympics, where she made history by becoming the youngest ever British Paralympian to win an individual gold medal before scooping a second gold, just days later.
In addition to picking up the main award Ellie, who is also one of three athletes shortlisted for the National BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award, picked up the prise for BBC Midlands Young Disabled Sportsperson of the Year.
The BBC Midlands Disabled Sportsperson Award went to nine-time Paralympic gold medallist Lee Pearson. The Leek rider has never been beaten at a Paralympics, winning gold medals in all his events in the last three consecutive Paralympics.
Experienced equestrian Anne Dunham was also in superb form at this summer’s Paralympics, helping the team to win its fourth consecutive Para-dressage team gold before also taking individual gold and individual silver. She beat off stiff competition from Olympians Ben Ainslie, Mark Foster and Tom Daley to scoop the main award.
As well as Simmonds winning in the midlands, it was another teenage swimming sensation that picked up the disability accolade and the junior disability prise in the East Midlands. Seventeen year-old Sutton-in-Ashfield swimmer Sam Hynd, won gold on his Paralympic debut in the 400m freestyle to add to the bronze medal he had already won.
Several other top Paralympic athletes were also given the disability sports prize at their regional awards. These include double-gold medal winning athlete David Weir – London’s Disabled Sportsperson 2008, swimmer turned cyclist Jody Cundy, who won in the East, two-time gold medallist David Stone, who won in Yorkshire and equestrian gold medallist, Simon Laurens was recognised by the South West.
Britain’s most successful Paralympian of the summer was cyclist Darren Kenny, who won four golds and one silver. As well as winning the BBC South’s Disabled Sportsperson Award, the Dorset athlete was also named BBC West’s Paralympian of the Year.
ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane he was delighted to see the success of so many of Britain’s top Paralympians celebrated in this way.
He added: “It’s superb to see that Ellie and Anne have scooped the main sports awards in their regions this year. The ParalympicsGB team had tremendous success at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing and it’s quite right that they should be recognised alongside their able-bodied counterparts.”
Source:www.paralympics.org.uk