Category: West
Midlands TV; Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
WM; Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Hereford & Worcester; Radio
Shropshire; Radio
Stoke
Date: 06.12.2004
Printable version
Staffordshire's Lee Pearson has scooped the top honour
at this year's Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Midlands Sports Awards.
Lee was named Midlands Sports Personality of the Year at last night's
ceremony (5 December) at The Belfry in Warwickshire.
More than 200 guests, including scores of top Midlands sporting personalities,
were present at the glittering ceremony hosted by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Midlands Today's
Nick Owen.
Lee, who won three dressage gold medals at the Paralympics earlier
this year, topped the voting by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Midlands Today's viewers to take
the top honour.
A double winner on the night, he also picked up the Disabled Sports
Person award for the second year running.
Olympic double medallist Leslie Law from Worcestershire
landed the Sportsman title, for taking gold in the individual Three
Day Eventing and silver in the team competition, while heptathlete Kelly
Sotherton was named Sportswoman of the Year.
Scott Mansell, an 18-year-old racing driver from Tamworth,
was named Young Sports Person of the Year after becoming the youngest
driver to win the EuroBoss championship title.
His successful season included four race wins, seven pole positions
and five circuit lap records.
The Junior Team award was collected by Church Stretton Girls
Under 13s Football Team.
They are the Coca Cola English Schools Cup Winners after beating a
team from Southampton 6-1 at Chelsea. The competition involved 1000
other schools.
Kidderminster's Claire Cashmore won the Young Disabled
Sports Person award.
At 16, she was the youngest member of the British Paralympics swimming
squad, winning two bronze medals and setting three British record times.
Claire had to combine her training for the games with revising for
her GCSE exams.
The Special Achievement award was presented to Ray Edensor.
The Staffordshire Ambulance Service paramedic completed an amazing
20 marathons in 20 days, even carrying a 30 pound rucksack on his back!
His gruelling journey raised Β£58,000 for Dreams Come True, a charity
which helps terminally ill children.
This year's Unsung Hero is Walter Dimmock from Wolverhampton.
For the best part of 40 years Walter has been enthusing, encouraging
and educating young and old to swim.
The former building site agent has devoted his life to helping others
overcome their fear of water.
Bob Matthews was inducted into the Midlands Hall of
Fame.
Bob, a blind runner from Leamington Spa, competed in his seventh Paralympics
this year at the age of 42.
During his career he has won eight golds, four silvers and one bronze.
At the ceremony, each Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Local Radio station in the West Midlands
announced a Breakthrough Award winner.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ WM (Birmingham & the Black Country) award went to Warwickshire
batsman Ian Bell and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ WM (Coventry & Warwickshire)
winner was archer Naomi Folkard from Leamington Spa.
For Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Hereford & Worcester, the Herefordshire award went to boxer
Darren 'Dazzo' Williams. He has successfully defended
the British Featherweight title three times in the past 12 months.
The Worcestershire award went to cricketer Steve Davies.
He's still to establish himself in the County side but has already made
the step up from club cricket in Kidderminster to England Under 17s
- and next month he'll captain the England Under 19s.
Lee Carter picked up the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Shropshire award.
In the past 12 months he has progressed from the terraces at Telford
FC to the boardroom, and ultimately to the Chairman's office, ensuring
that AFC Telford lives to fight another day.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Stoke award went to 13-year-old Danielle Wyatt,
a schoolgirl cricketer whose impressive year included three centuries
in successive matches for Staffordshire Under 13s.
She also added another couple of half centuries for both the Under
15s and 17s - in a season which saw her finish with a batting average
in all County games of over 40, with almost 500 runs.
A special highlights programme of the awards is on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE
(West Midlands only) on Wednesday 8 December at 7.00pm.
Full list of winners in order of presentation:
World Beaters: Marlon Devonish & Mark Lewis-Francis
Junior Team of the Year: Church Stretton Girls U13s Football
Team
Young Sports Person: Scott Mansell
Special Achievement: Ray Edensor
Greatest Sporting Moment: Coventry City's FA Cup victory in
1987
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Local Radio Breakthrough Awards:
Coventry & Warwickshire: Naomi Folkard
Herefordshire: Darren Williams
Shropshire: Lee Carter
Stoke: Danielle Wyatt
WM: Ian Bell
Worcestershire: Steve Davies
Sports Unsung Hero: Walter Dimmock
Disabled Sports Person: Lee Pearson
Junior Disabled Sports Person: Claire Cashmore
Team of the Year: Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Sportswoman of the Year: Kelly Sotherton
Sportsman of the Year: Leslie Law
Hall of Fame: Bob Matthews
Sports Personality of the Year: Lee Pearson
