Young evoke mixed emotions as William honours two sports stars
HAVING GIVEN birth to her daughter only three months ago, Britain’s most successful female freestyle kayaker can barely manage a sit-up at the moment, but Claire O’Hara told the Duke of Cambridge yesterday that she is determined to defend her world title in July.
Ms O’Hara, who is 37 and from Leeds, was at Buckingham Palace to collect an MBE for services to canoeing.
She said she hoped her success would give the sport more exposure and get young people interested in taking part.
“I like how much opportunity it creates to interact with people of all ages and abilities in an amazing way,” she said.
Another sportsman honoured at the Palace was also trying to convey a positive message about young people, despite evidence to the contrary. Mark Prince, a former champion boxer, lost his 15-year-old son, Kiyan, to knife crime 13 years ago and lamented that so little had changed in the time since.
Mr Prince, 50, who collected an OBE for services to tackling knife and gang crime in London, has worked hard to create an anti-knife and anti-gang culture in the capital’s schools through the Kiyan Prince Foundation and by giving talks to pupils.
He noted that the debate about trying to find a solution over the last 13 years “hurts because you know that if the people who can make the changes actually made them, then we might be saving some of these lives”.
Mr Prince said “nothing is changing” and “we keep talking about the same issues”.
Kiyan died from a single stab wound to the heart as he tried to break up a fight outside school in May 2006.
Mr Prince said: “We are put here for a purpose. It is a good purpose we have been created for. Young people have become lost on their journey and they are hurt.
“If we can start focusing on the people who are hurt and heal them earlier instead of focusing on criminalising them, then we can make a huge difference.”