The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
North stars honoured Awards night for Scots scene
Several dedicated north runners and jogscotland community running groups have been shortlisted for major awards at a gala athletics evening in Glasgow next month.
They will all be in the company of Dame Kelly Holmes, one of Britain’s most decorated Olympians, who is to be the star guest at the FPSG scottishathletics and jogscotland annual awards dinner on November 3.
The event will recognise the achievements not only of the top stars on the Scottish scene, such as Inverness-born European 1,500m champion Laura Muir and Deeside’s Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Robbie Simpson, but also of some of the groups and individuals making an impact in many different and inspirational ways at grass roots level.
Among them is Ciaran Young of Tain Joggers, who is short listed for the SAMH Mental Wellbeing award.
Young has autism, learning difficulties and epilepsy, with limited communication skills, which can make it hard for him to fit into groups and can also make him very anxious and stressed at times. However, since joining Tain Joggers with his mum, Angie, he has fitted in well, completing 5k and 10k races and becoming a much-loved member of the group. It has boosted his confidence and helped him reduce his anxiety and stress levels.
Other nominees in this category include the jogscotland Kintore group, which has a passion for promoting the benefits of running for mental health. Among the sessions it offers is a monthly men’s social run that encourages runners to talk about mental health or other issues.
Gary Brown from jogscotland Meldrum has been nominated for the Achiever of the Year trophy. Brown suffers from stage-five kidney failure and undergoes dialysis three times a week, for five hours at a time. Despite the exhausting treatment, Brown has completed several 5k runs.
Ros Jemmett of Alness Area jogscotland is in line for the Leader of the Year award while the Newmachar Running Group has been nominated for the Group of the Year award in recognition of the positive impact it has had on the local community. The group, open to all levels, offers a wide variety of training runs and yoga classes.