Pershore duo invited to County Awards
16 Nov 2011
Two Pershore swimmers receive prestigious County Awards.
Two young sporting stars from Pershore Swimming Club enjoyed one of the biggest events of their lives last week at the Sports Partnership Annual Sports Awards 2011. They discovered they were one of three on the final short list a few weeks ago in their respective categories and made up the 200 talented local sports men and women plus businesses and dignitaries from as far as Ross, Tenbury and Hereford through Malvern, Worcester and Wyre Forest and stretching across to Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch, gathered at SixwaysStadium in Worcester, all to discover the winners of the 2011 Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Awards. Guests at the celebration evening also applauded 'Talented Athlete Bursaries' being awarded by the Joanna Brown Trust during the presentations. This year's event included a keynote speech from former Olympian, 5,000 metres world record holder and Chief Executive of UK Athletics 1997รป2007 Mr David Moorcroft MBE., OBE.
Thirteen year old Harry Sykes has not only regularly been winning County and Open Meet swimming medals leading from the front as Junior Club Captain has also been showing the wow factor in several other sports. It could be stated Harry's main sport is Tetrathlon comprising swimming, running, riding and shooting and was joined on the shortlist by Jonathon Tye from Worcester Canoe Club and Jack George-Burnell from Bewdley Tennis Club. With their undisputed talent on show Harry was amazed when he was announced as the very first winner of the evening as 'Junior Male Sports Person of the Year' for 2011, this award sponsored by 'Evolve Print Ltd'.
Harry Sykes also had won the most recent Wychavon 'Junior Male Sports Personality of the Year' back in January where he had again proven his talent by winning the ISA National Swimming Championships in breaststroke events over the previous two years and represented his County in the National ASA Inter County swimming competition in Sheffield recently helping even more putting Pershore Swimming Club, Croome Pony Clubs and his school of Bowbrook House on the map. He is also The Midlands ISA Champion in Cross Country and gone on to represent the Midlands in the National ISA Athletic Championships in the past.
In his main sport he has represented Central England in the under 16's Pony Club Tetrathlon Home Nations Competition earlier in the year coming 8th individually with his team winning 5th place overall. Whilst competing in Tetrathlons Harry is especially proud of the fact that he often achieves the distinction of 'Best Run' and 'Best Swim' in other competitions he enters.
His head of PE Mr Richard Mills at Bowbrook House School wrote "In the past year alone Harry has represented the school exceptionally well in Rugby, Football, Basketball, Cricket, Equestrian events, Athletics, Swimming and Cross-Country. He has regularly performed to a high standard in each of these areas, often being chosen to captain various teams, demonstrating a great level of maturity. He is an extraordinary talent but he does not become complacent. I am particularly impressed with his ability to motivate and offer advice to his peers."
Whilst Croome Hunt Pony's District Commissioner, Sarah Roberts, says of Harry "It is my belief that his example has encouraged a pleasing number of boys to join the Pony Club and take part in branch activities. He is an equestrian all rounder and represents the branch at dressage, show jumping and eventing as well as at Tetrathlon and is both dedicated and hard working."
Harry's ambition is to move direction slightly and become a Modern Pentathlete, with aspirations of competing at an Olympics one day in that event.
Next up was the 'Junior Female Sports Person of the Year' (sponsored by 'Trophies Direct') in which Tazmin Pugh had made the shortlist of three and joined by Morgan Bayham-Williams from Ross Rowing Club and Emily Lewis Worcester Canoe Club both being top medal winners in their respective sports with an International reputation and medals to prove it.
Although Tazmin is still only 11 years of age she is again no stranger to sporting awards evenings having been voted Wychavon's own 'Junior Female Sporting Personality' for an unprecedented two years in succession in 2010 and 2011. Nevertheless she was still bedazzled by the sporting stars on show but thoroughly delighted to have seen her club mate Harry Sykes go up and collect the first trophy of the evening
Having heard the sporting prowess of the other two in her category Tazmin too thought there was no chance of being called up such was their obvious talent but like Harry was staggered to have her name called out as the winner no doubt with her recent showing in the National Age Group Swimming Championships in Sheffield, her continued top positions in County, Regional and National rankings all helping towards the final decision apart from the 30 trophies and over 200 medals won over the last two years.
Not content with winning trophies Tazmin also prides herself in putting back into the sport what she gets out by helping her coach and other swimmers regularly on poolside and by doing so stretches an extra hour of voluntary work twice a week on to her own severely limited training time at Pershore Leisure Centre. Tazmin does not just limit her talents to the one sport as she is Midlands ISA 600m Athletics and Cross Country Champion, having been National ISA swimming Champion for three years running in three different strokes, holding four National ISA Records together with representing her old school of Bowbrook House though now a pupil at Abbey Park Middle in Athletics, Hockey, Netball and Dance. She most recently won the Evesham and District Inter Middle Schools Cross County hosted by Bredon 'Pull Court' School, Tewkesbury. In supporting her nomination teachers past and present not only wrote of her obvious talents but of her inspiring level of commitment to all she does, whilst at the same time, remaining highly motivated and successful in her academic studies as highly impressive.
Mr Richard Mills, her ex head of PE before Tazmin went on to Abbey Park Middle School said of her "Tazmin is an excellent role model to pupils both younger and older than herself. She is patient and offers help and advice to her peers who find physical activity challenging. She is also polite, hardworking, and diligent, modest and is never boastful of her achievements."
Being interviewed on the radio following the presentations Tazmin thanked all who had helped her achieve her aims so far and with the highly valued and inspirational funding now being offered by the Joanna Brown Trust Grant for specific sporting needs also being presented on the evening, Tazmin is more determined than ever to move forward towards even bigger goals.
Having one member win such a prestigious award as in the annual Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire awards in the junior category is a superb achievement in itself but to have two members win against such incredibly talented athletes in our area is truly outstanding and one everyone at Pershore Swimming Club and indeed in Wychavon as a whole should be justifiably proud. PHOTO
Ian