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Dame Kelly Holmes hails awesome talent at Plymouth sports awards
By Gareth A Davies – thisisplymouth.co.uk 01 Dec 2008
OLYMPIC legend Dame Kelly Holmes hailed local athletes for their ‘astounding’ achievements at The Herald’s Sports Personality of the Year awards
The double Olympic track gold medallist, who won in the 800m and 1500m in 2004, was guest of honour at last night’s glittering annual ceremony at Plymouth Pavilions.
Dame Kelly handed out prizes to winners of the seven categories and gave a rousing speech to those gathered for the gala event.
Tavistock pentathlete Heather Fell scooped the top title of Sports Personality of the Year 2008, with other winners including teenage diving star Tom Daley.
Dame Kelly, who was herself named BBC Sports Personality, said: “Why I like these awards is they recognise the achievements of other people than just the athletes – the support teams who are equally as important.
“When I was on the podium at Athens there should have been other people there with me – my family, friends, coach, everybody who believed in the dream should have had a medal too.”
Naming the Olympic athletes present, she said the ceremony was about “recognising achievement at the highest level”.
“All I want to say, from one Olympian to others, is that it is a huge achievement,” she said.
“You know how overwhelming it is to be in those Games. The performances seen in Beijing this year were beyond awesome, they were absolutely amazing, and the performances of Plymouth athletes were absolutely astounding.”
Adding a word of advice to the city’s aspiring athletes, Dame Kelly said: “When trying to reach the top in anything, I always believe it is important to have a goal and my absolute goal was to be an Olympic champion.
“Having that focus, believing in yourself and having that determination, if you keep sticking in there you can make it or get close to making it.”
Bill Martin, The Herald editor, said: “It was a fantastic evening which marked the tremendous achievements of all sports men and women in Plymouth.
“It was a night when all those nominated were winners, not just the winners themselves.”
The presentation of the seventh Sports Personality prize – sponsored by Michael Spiers Jewellers – rounded off the evening in which the winner of six other competitive categories were announced.
Diver Tom Daley won the Young Sports Personality award, while other awards went to his diving coach Andy Banks, Plymouth Raiders, teenage sailor James Ellis and Sue Gullick of the Plymouth Pilgrims netball team.
The event also saw the launch of Making A Difference, a scheme to support Plymouth’s athletes of the future. Run by Plymouth Sports Forum in conjunction with University College Marjon, the project has been started with a donation from The Herald to be a legacy fund for rising sports stars.
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