Winners announced for Variety Disability Sports Awards 2024 | London Daily News

Twelve worthy winners of the Variety Disability Sports Awards – the UK’s only annual sports awards for people with disabilities – were announced at an inspiring ceremony at @sohoplace Theatre, London.

Hosted by Variety, the Children’s Charity, the awards evening celebrated and championed the achievements of disabled sportspeople, from emerging talents to outstanding individuals and teams.

The event saw the launch of Variety’s Voices for Change advocacy campaign, which will work with children and young people across the U.K. to spotlight the challenges faced by disabled and disadvantaged children in accessing sports.

Comedian and presenter, Adam Hills MBE, hosted the awards and was joined by a number of inspiring sportspeople and celebrities including one of Britain’s most decorated Paralympians, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Awards were given across twelve prestigious categories, shortlisted by Variety’s expert committee after being nominated by partner national sport bodies, with certain award winners specially selected by Variety, Channel 4, and ParalympicsGB.

Awards included ‘ECB Award for Rising Star’, the ‘Yoo Capital Award for Innovation’ and the ‘Dreams Award for Inspiration’. In addition, Dame Sarah Storey and Sophie Christiansen, who has recently announced her retirement after a hugely successful career, were honoured with the ‘Variety Awards for Lifetime Achievement’.

From disabled athletes running into the record books, to the first female adaptive boxer and coach for the World Boxing Council, the twelve accomplished winners included:

• ECB Award for Rising Star

Georgia Routledge (20) for her remarkable achievements in para-standing tennis, including her victory as the First ITF World Champion.

• Yoo Capital Award for Innovation

Every Body Moves – powered by Toyota – offers a new way to discover inclusive local opportunities to become more active. Their aim is to champion inclusion and empower disabled people regardless of their background or ability, to become more active in whatever way works for them via their online platform.

• Access Card Award for Outstanding Team Achievement

PR2 2x (Gregg Stevenson & Lauren Rowles) who claimed a thrilling Paralympic gold in the mixed double sculls in Paris.

• Dreams Award for Inspiration

Lloyd Martin (20) who inspired the nation when he ran into the record books at the London Marathon earlier this year, setting a new Guinness World Records title for the youngest person to complete a marathon (II2).

• Glaukos Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement

Stephen Miller (44) for his incredibly illustrious career in disabled sport. Earlier this year, the three-time Paralympic champion called time on a glittering career in which he won 34 major international medals across more than two decades at senior level.

• The Kartik Foundation Award for Unsung Hero

Luiz Faye (39) is a pioneering figure in adaptive boxing, working tirelessly to make the sport accessible and empowering individuals with disabilities.

• American Golf Award for Unsung Hero

Mark Dewdney (65) for his invaluable dedication to adaptive rowing. Mark is a highly respected Adaptive Head Coach at Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club and as Chairman of the Association of Adaptive Rowing Clubs.

• Variety Award for Lifetime Achievement

Dame Sarah Storey is a record-breaking British Paralympian, renowned for her achievements in both swimming and cycling. She began her Paralympic career as a swimmer at the age of 14, competing in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Over four Paralympic Games, she won 15 medals in swimming, including five golds.

• Channel 4 Award for Lifetime Achievement

Sophie Christiansen CBE has competed in four successive Paralympic Games, gaining an incredible ten medals along the way – who this year announced her retirement from an incredible career.

• Variety International Award

Rhiannon Clarke is an Australian Paralympic athlete known for her accomplishments in para-athletics, specifically in sprint events. Born on July 23, 2002, Clarke was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects muscle coordination. Despite her physical challenges, she has excelled on the international stage, competing in the T38 classification, designated for athletes with coordination impairments.

• LTA Award for Sports Icon

Alfie Hewett OBE is a nine-time Grand Slam singles champion, 21-time Grand Slam doubles champion, Rio 2016 men’s singles and doubles silver medallist, Tokyo 2020 men’s doubles silver medallist, and four-time World Team Cup gold medallist

• @sohoplace Award for Charity Champion

George Blackshaw (25) is an inspiring British adaptive golfer and prominent advocate for disability inclusion in sports. Having lost his right forearm and right leg in an accident as a toddler, he has demonstrated remarkable resilience and skill on the golf course, competing at a high level and promoting adaptive sports along the way.

The evening celebrated and championed disabled sportspeople, with Variety’s ‘Voices for Change’ campaign building momentum through grassroots advocacy, breaking down barriers that prevent disabled children from low-income families from accessing sports and physical activities.

Laurence Guinness, CEO of Variety, the Children’s Charity, said:

“Last night’s Variety Disability Sports Awards was an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of disabled sportspeople across the UK – including those at a grassroots level through to those on the biggest stage of all, the Paralympics – and it was an incredibly inspiring evening.”

“We have made some important steps forward when it comes to making UK sport more diverse and inclusive, but there is no doubt we have a long way to go. Variety’s Voices for Change campaign spotlights the challenges faced by disabled and disadvantaged children who want to participate in sports, which must change. The launch of this campaign, off the back of another successful Variety Disability Sports Awards, will help to amplify disabled and disadvantaged children’s voices and experiences, advocating for increased funding and access to sport in the UK.”

“A huge congratulations to all our incredible nominees and winners. You really are extraordinary, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you.”

 

Variety’s ‘Voices for Change’ campaign is grassroots advocacy campaign aimed at breaking down barriers that prevent disabled children from low-income families from accessing sports and physical activities.

To find out more and support the campaign, visit: www.variety.org.uk/how-can-we-help/voices-for-change/