Kathy Cook

During almost a decade of international sprinting, Kathy Cook (née Smallwood) amassed 23 international championship medals, equalling the most by any English athlete (Linford Christie), and was so far ahead of her time that her British records for 200m (22.10) and 400m (49.43), established at the 1984 Olympics, still stand while her UK 100m record of 11.10 set in 1981 lasted until 2008.
She was third at 200m in the inaugural World Championships in 1983 and reached the peak of her career at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 when she took the bronze medal in the 400m in 49.43, followed by fourth place in the 200m (just 1/100th away from bronze) in another British record of 22.10.

Medals

Gold: 1978, 1982 & 1986 Commonwealth 4x100m relay
Silver: 1982 European & Commonwealth 200m; 1986 Commonwealth 200m; 1983 World 4x100m relay; 1986 Commonwealth 4x400m relay
Bronze: 1983 World 200m; 1984 Olympic 400m; 1986 Commonwealth 400m; 1980 & 1984 Olympic 4x100m relay

Tom Hampson

In 1929, his final year at Oxford, he made a break through with half mile times of 1:57.6 and 1:56.0. In 1930 and he made a successful AAA Championships debut by winning in the English native record time of 1:53.2. In the first British Empire Games in Hamilton a prodigious finishing sprint carried him to the tape fully 20 yards clear in 1:52.4, the fastest 880 yards time in the world that year. He successfully attained the 800m crown at the 1932 Olympics and was hailed by the American world record breaker Ben Eastman as “the greatest middle distance man the world has ever seen”.
He was among the first ten senior honorary AAA coaches to be appointed and was a press steward at the London Olympics of 1948.

Medals

Dorothy Hyman

Before she had celebrated her 24th birthday, Dorothy Hyman had become the most bemedalled British athlete up to that time and now, at 70, she still ranks as our most successful female sprinter.
By 1963 Dorothy was without doubt the world's number one sprinter. She went unbeaten and topped the world list at 100m with two legal marks of 11.3, equalling the European record and only 0.1 outside Rudolph's world record, and 200m with 23.2 for a new European record. Neither time was bettered by a British athlete for ten years. She also contributed to a world 4x110y relay record of 45.2.

Medals

Derek Ibbotson

'The four minute smiler', as the immensely popular Yorkshireman was dubbed, followed Walter George, Sydney Wooderson and Roger Bannister and preceded Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram as a British world mile record holder – and has now joined that illustrious company in the England Athletics Hall of Fame. He held World Records in the mile – 3:57.2 in 1957; and 4x1 Mile Relay – 16:30.6 in 1958.
Derek won a bronze at the 1956 Olympics over 5000m. Further evidence of his outstanding stamina came at the 1956 English cross country championship in which he finished third.

Medals

Denise Lewis

Denise Lewis thoroughly deserved her heptathlon gold medal in Sydney in 2000 as she struggled bravely against injuries which came so close to shattering her Olympic dream. Her career was one of long-term consistency at the highest level.
A calf injury early in 1999 had severely hampered her preparation for the World Championships but she recovered in time to score 6724 for second place.
Denise also won golds for England at the 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games and 1998 European Championships.

Medals

Bruce Longden

To coach one athlete to an Olympic title and world record is a monumental achievement, but in Bruce Longden's case he guided two of Britain's greatest ever athletes to the ultimate distinction in the sport. A year before being appointed a BAAB National Coach, he began coaching a precocious all-rounder by the name of Daley Thompson - and later, he was coaching another athlete who would hit the heights in Sally Gunnell. In 1984 as Head Coach for the Norwegian Athletic Federation for 4 years, then returned to Britain to serve as a BAF National Coach from 1991 to 1997, his specialist areas being the combined events, hurdles and jumps, and these days he divides his time between France and South Africa.

Ken Matthews

British walkers have been responsible for many international triumphs, but none has been quite as successful as Ken Matthews. He won four of his five major international tests at 20 kilometre including the European title in 1962.
Ken also won the first two finals of the Lugano Trophy in 1961 and 1963 where he led Britain to victory. The Lugano Trophy was in effect the world team championship of that time.
Ken he won the coveted Olympic gold medal for the 20km walk in Tokyo in 1964.

Medals

Sam Mussabini

Like Bruce Longden, Sam Mussabini coached two individual British Olympic champions; Albert Hill, who completed the 800m/1500m double at the 1920 Olympics, and – more famously - Harold Abrahams, the 1924 100m champion in Paris. But many years earlier, Mussabini had guided another athlete to Olympic glory, South Africa's Reggie Walker, the 1908 100m champion in London. Mussabini's next great sprinter was Willie Applegarth who at the 1912 Olympics was a member of Britain's victorious 4x100m relay team and bronze medallist at 200m. A year after Sam's death yet another of his protégés, Jack London, kept his memory alive by finishing second in the 1928 Olympic 100m. Unorthodox his methods may have been, but Sam was a great innovator as well as motivator, and his record speaks for itself.

Jean Pickering

Jean Desforges, as she was, made her international debut in 1947 as an 18 year-old 80m hurdler and subsequently represented Britain also in the long jump and 4x100m relay. She won on 19 occasions when wearing the British colours. As well as her long jumping exploits, Jean also set a British record of 3997 points for the pentathlon in 1953 and her hurdles best of 11.1 in 1954 was just a tenth outside the UK record. At the 1950 European Championships in Brussels she won gold in the 4x100m relay; at the 1952 Olympics she took a relay bronze; further bronze medals in both the hurdles and long jump were gained at the 1954 British Empire Games in Vancouver; while later that season in Bern she became European long jump champion with a leap of 6.04m – close to her 1953 UK record of 6.10m when she became the first British woman to jump over 20 feet.
Since her husband's premature death in 1991 Jean has made an enormous contribution to British athletics by setting up and administering the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, which has distributed over a million pounds to help young athletes. She is also closely involved with Sportshall Athletics.

Harold Whitlock

No one in the history of British race walking made such a significant and diverse contribution to that segment of our sport than Harold Whitlock … as competitor, coach, judge and official. Whitlock's career was as long as it was distinguished. He first came into prominence in 1931 with second place in the national 50 kilometres championship and it was not until 1952 (aged 48!) that he bowed out as an international.
Between 1933 and 1939 he won the national 50 kilometres title on six occasions. Other honours included a world 30 miles track record of 4:29:31.8 in 1935 en route to 50 miles in 7:44:47.2 and being the first to walk the 52 miles from London to Brighton in under eight hours, his time of 7:53:50 standing as the record until 1956. Whitlock won the 1938 European 50 kilometres title in 4:41:51.
He remained a prominent and respected figure in race walking circles for the rest of his life.

Medals

Mike Smith

Official of the year: Matt Witt

Matt is a level 3 track judge who officiates at Club, County and Regional events in the county of Cambridgeshire across the East of England and nationally.  Matt is enthusiastic, keen and always willing to learn. Matt is enthusiastic, keen and always willing to learn.  Matt also mentors other officials and is an inspiration to young officials starting out in the sport.  His enthusiasm is infectious and he invests time and energy in developing himself and others. He also has coordinated the Cambridgeshire Sportshall league in previous years.
 

Services to Officiating: Mike Parmiter

Mike is a well known face in the officials’ fraternity who has shown both commitment and diversity to his officiating and in supporting other officials over his years of service. He has written two editions of “How to Judge Field Events”.  His longevity speaks for itself and he also contributes to developing new officials and has mentored other officials for many years.  Mike is held in high esteem in by officials all over England and the UK – a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, kind, helpful and personable man who is an inspiration to everyone.

Young Volunteer of the year: Kathrine Foy

Kathrine has demonstrated innovation as part of her work with the Lee Valley Athletics Network this year and has led volunteering projects that have focusing on officiating and in facilitating competition activities.  Kathrine is now one of eight youth ambassadors for the Network, helping to promote and shape the network’s work.  She is a dedicated athlete competing for both her club Woodford Green with Essex Ladies, and university, St. Mary’s Richmond.

Services to Volunteering: Ian Clarke

Ian’s voluntary service to running has spanned more than two decades and additionally as an active volunteer in the county and region, Ian is licence officer for Worcestershire, Road race secretary and county rep.  He is often found race refereeing local and regional races and advising community organisations such as Scout groups to set up their own safe and successful races.  He also regularly volunteers to help runners by crewing check points in ultra races and marshalling with other club members and at Inter counties and cross countries leagues when needed.

Services to Disability: Jen Slade

Jen was winner of the SW Regional Award in 2010, just 2 yrs after starting a group for disabled athletes at Yeovil Olympiads – and then Taunton AC. Since then Jen's involvement, inspiration and success has continued to thrive - both within the club, but also across the Region.  Within Yeovil Olympiads there are now a number of disabled athletes covering every impairment group, performance level, event and age groups. Many of these athletes are now integrated within existing training groups and coaches. This includes seated throws, wheelchair racing, sprints and throws.

Development Club of the year: Sedgefield Harriers

Six years after Sedgefield Harriers were formed, they now boast a membership that exceeds 60 adults and 120 juniors. These athletes are supported by a network of 16 coaches delivering up to 13 training sessions per week covering the breadth of athletic events all ages.  This work has also seen the club gain England Athletics Club Mark status. The Club has three coaches enrolled on Local Coach Development Programme. The Club also uses Athletics 365, the Academy Awards and Startrack holiday programmes to help with the development of its junior athletes.

Athletics Network of the year: Oxfordshire Athletics Network

The Oxfordshire Athletics Network has demonstrated that it understands the development needs of clubs and coaches and the role that the network can play in supporting both clubs and coaches.  It has created more qualified Athletics Leaders; developed coaches through providing opportunities reflective of their needs; supported clubs to recruit, retain and reward volunteers and to gain Clubmark; enabled over 30 Under 20 athletes to participate at the National Junior League as part of a composite Network team and delivered a multi-skill athletics programme to over 160 children with links to local clubs.
 

Development Coach of the year: John Blackie

John has been involved in coaching for over 10 years and has had tremendous success in developing the athletic talents of hundreds of young people.  He started the Bees Academy five years ago and now more than 400 children attend weekly athletics coaching sessions. The initiative provides 16+ young athletes with the opportunity to coach by assisting with the coaching sessions. Children under the age of 13 are encouraged to try all athletics event and not to specialise too early.  John has also coached many County, Regional and National Champions in a wide range of events.
 

Services to Coaching: Norman Poole

Norman Poole has coached many athletes over a long career to Commonwealth and Olympic Standards, such as Diane Modahl, Ann Griffiths and Kevin McKay.  More recently his success has taken the form of Tom Lancashire and Mike Rimmer who will no doubt look to achieve great things over the next few years. Norman has extensive events knowledge across 800m to 5,000m.  As important as anything is the fact that Norman commits to passing on his knowledge and skills and also invests in mentoring others and has been a regular contributor to BMC coaching events and activities.

Services to Athletics:  Graham Heeley

Graham Heeley joined his father at the age ten going to Sparkhill Harriers. He progressed from athlete to assist in the running of the club eventually becoming Chairman. He was Team Manager and later secretary of the British Police Cross Country Team leading them to European Events across the Continent.  Within the Midland Counties AA he became Officials Secretary for Cross Country, and his officiating ability has been recognised by his appointments as Referee and International Technical Official at National, European and World Championships, as well as the Out of Stadia Referee for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  As well as Endurance events he is a Field official, again refereeing at many meetings at all levels of the sport.

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