Coach of the Year Peter has busy schedule

less than a month to go to get your nominations in for the Canterbury and District Sports Awards in association with Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Kent, this week we take a look at the Coach of the Year section – to see what last year’s winner is doing now. Peter Mullervy from Invicta East Kent Athletics Club collected the accolade a year ago. Since winning the award, Peter has continued to excel as an athletics coach and has set his sights on taking one of his athletes to the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Peter coaches a variety of athletes from under-11-s through to seniors and from middle distance to marathon runners. He is the lead coach at Invicta and looks after three Great Britian crosscountry athletes – Rebecca Weston, Bobby Clay and Alex Clay – as well as GB marathon runner Phil Anthony. Peter uses Canterbury Christ Church University’s sports science lab to understand his athletes’ strengths and weaknesses. He has travelled with his charges all over the UK this year as well as the occasional international trip but with 20 different athletes to look after, he is often reliant on messages from them and their parents to keep him up to speed with where they are up to. This year he has also been invited onto the England Athletics National Coach Development Programme which helps support local coach development programmes around the country. Competition for this year’s Coach of the Year will no doubt be tough for the panel of judges for the awards but it isn’t about coaching top level athletes. The category is after those role models whose selfless commitment to their club deserve recognition and there are hundreds of coaches across the district. Nominations close on Friday, September 20, with the top three nominees in each category invited to attend the awards evening at the King’s Hall, Herne Bay on Friday, October 18. Nominations can be made online at www.activecanterbury.org. Alternatively, printed nomination forms can be obtained by contacting the Sports Development Team on 01227 862 524 or e-mailing giles.seaford@ canterbury.gov.uk