New Year Honours celebrate athlete successes and recognises athletics volunteers

Inspirational figures from across athletics and the running community led the New Year Honours List for 2022 with recognition for Olympians, Paralympians and those driving the sport forward at grassroots level - and we’d like to offer a huge congratulations to all!

Mick Bromilow - long-serving Technical Official (timekeeper) and Chair of Marshall Milton Keynes AC - was awarded a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to Athletics after a career which has seen him involved in the sport for almost 50 years.

In 2006, he chaired a competition review for England Athletics, which has shaped the development of the sport for junior athletes. In 2010, Mick founded the Southern Athletics League which is now the largest athletics league competition provider in the UK. In 2011, he devised a performance-based scoring system for senior athletics, which has been used by the National Athletics system. Mick continues to look for ways in which the sport can improve, including using new technology to help record and process results of cross country races.

"I was absolutely delighted to receive this award, but am very conscious that there are thousands of coaches and officials who are turning out week after week to help their clubs. It’s brilliant that the contribution of people like me are being recognized."
Mick Bromilow

Six of our Tokyo Paralympians were recognised too with OBEs for Hannah Cockroft (T34 wheelchair 100m and 400m golds) and Kadeena Cox (T38 wheelchair 400m)

"It’s a massive privilege to be recognised for my achievements on the track last summer with an OBE on the New Year Honours list. I feel so lucky to get to do my sport everyday and to be given such a title for chasing my dreams and goals - and enjoying what I do feels slightly strange, but a great honour all the same. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last 14 years to this point, I hope there is plenty more to come!"
Hannah Cockroft

MBEs were awarded to gold medallists Jonathan Broom-Edwards (F44 high jump), Andy Small (T33 wheelchair 100m), Thomas Young (T38 ambulant 100m), and Dan Pembroke (F13 javelin).

"I am truly honoured to receive such a prestigious award. The hard work and sacrifices that went into winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in 2021 was worth it. I hope that I can give back to the sport that has given me so much. I aim to continue to inspire others to become active in sport, regardless of disability or impairment as I continue my athletic career towards Paris 2024."
Jonathan Broom-Edwards

"I'm honoured to be receiving an MBE for services to Athletics and Paralympic Sport, what an amazing accolade to be granted for something that I love doing! Its always a great privilege to represent our country! As a true legacy of 2012, I hope my story can inspire others in the way that I was inspired. I'm truly grateful to the dedication of my family, coaching staff, support team and all those who've supported me on my journey!"
Andy Small

"The honour was such a big surprise for me, when the letter came through the post I had to read it twice to confirm what my eyes were seeing. This past year has been such a highlight in my life, winning the paralympic games with a paralympic record and being immersed in the paralympicsGB team, which is filled with such amazing and inspirational people, these things alone made it an exceptional year but to the then be awarded the honour of MBE, well that sure is the best icing I've ever had on any cake."
Dan Pembroke

In addition, Alex Yee received an MBE for his Olympic Triathlon gold; Alex also competes in distance track, cross country and road relay events. Commander of the Order of the British Empire was bestowed upon Nick Webborn the Chair of the British Paralympic Association.

Recipients of New Year Honours in other Home Countries

There was an OBE for welshman and F42 Shot and Discus thrower Aled Davies, whose latest gold was at the Tokyo Paralympics. MBEs were awarded to Scotland's Owen Miller who won gold in the T20 1500m in Tokyo, to Irish 100m visually impaired sprinter Jason Smyth, and a BEM for Olympian James McIlroy who now coaches and is Race Director for the Antrim Coast half marathon.

Cockroft, Cox, Broom-Edwards, Young photos by Mark Shearman, Pembroke photo by Tadeusz Skwiot / IPC