A KNOCKOUT EVENING AT AWARDS
Bangor boxing coach takes the top Your Champions award 2016 for his tireless work
Football icon John Hartson leads the praise for our hard working community heroes -
WALES football legend John Hartson led the tributes to the unsung heroes of North Wales on Friday night.
The former Arsenal, and Celtic forward was guest of honour at the ScottishPower Foundation / Trinity Mirror North Wales (publishers of the Mail) Your Champions Awards in Llandudno.
It is the 19th year the two companies have combined to celebrate the work of individuals and groups across the region.
The Champion of Champions Award went to boxing coach Brian Williams from Bangor.
He has dedicated more than three decades to helping hundreds of youngsters in the Maesgirchen area of the city to progress in the sport, with a number becoming Welsh champions.
Brian has undertaken the fundraising to take the youngsters to tournaments including a 2,000-foot bungee jump at the age of 66.
The ring king was nominated by county and city councillor Nigel Pickavance.
He said: “I speak to a lot of people in Bangor and hear on a daily basis how Brian should be thanked and recognised for his efforts.
“Not only has Brian given the young people of Bangor great boxing techniques, skill and discipline, he has given them an alternative to getting into trouble or hanging around the streets.”
The Sporting Champion of the Year Award went to Keith Parry, a founder member of Caernarfon Rugby Club in 1973.
During his time as chairman, he moved the club from junior to senior status and established the women’s section.
At the age of 74, he has continued to coach the under 12 section and play for the GOGS team for over 40s.
The Gwynedd and Anglesey Relay
for Life collected the Champion Team of the Year Award. Teams in the 24-hour annual event must keep one member on the track at any time. In seven years the organisers - all with personal connections to cancer - have raised £300,000 for research into the disease.
Glesni Tegid a pupil of Ysgol David Hughes, Menai Bridge is a young ambassador who has been active all year round working with primary schools during lesson times and after school sessions with the Dragon Sports & Multi Skills sessions, supporting youth clubs across Anglesey as well as holiday sports and fitness clubs. The activity programme called Physical literacy has seen over 500 pupils taking part in the last few months. She was awarded the sporting champion of the year.
Champion young person of the year went to Osian Jones of Llanfaglan near Caernarfon. Earlier this year the 16 year old suffered weeks of headaches, which doctors put down to the stress of his upcoming GCSE examinations. But after experiencing double vision, he was examined by local optometrist who suggested that he went straight to Yspyty Gwynedd for further tests.
Osian and his family were given the devastating news that he had a brain tumour, and due to its severity was operated upon straight away.
However just three weeks after the operation he sat his GCSE examinations
and remarkably 12 weeks later with 15 friends and family they were waved off by Oli the Elephant , Alder Hey’s official mascot in Llanberis before they climbed to the top of Snowdon to raise money for the hospital in Liverpool, where he underwent the major operation.
Luke Harper from Holyhead is 17 years old, however since he was a young boy he has had to cope, and be a young carer with the on-going issues that has been suffered by his mother, with her having her 44 th major operation this month.
A well-adjusted young man, who has ensured that his education has not fallen by the wayside, which resulted him achieving excellent results this year, so much so that Oxford and Cambridge have invited him to attend and consider their universities.
Ultimately witnessing his mother’s illnesses has influenced his decision tostudy medicine in the future.
ScottishPower corporate communications director Richard Taylor said: “Our partnership with Trinity Mirror North Wales recognises the unsung heroes
whose selfless acts make such a difference to the lives of others in their communities.”
Daily Post editor Andrew Campbell added: “It is a privilege to meet and honour these great people. They are all true champions and deserve this recognition of their dedication and hard work.”
John Hartson’s career in football spanned 1992 to 2008. The Swansea-born striker played 51 times for Wales, scoring 14 goals.
He also played for Arsenal and West Ham United in the Premier League and for Celtic north of the border in Scotland.
In July 2009, John was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain but after treatment he beat the disease.
He establised the John Hartson Foundation to raise the awareness of testicular cancer and raise funds for people affected by the disease.