Active, Fit and Sporty Awards

Active, Fit and Sporty Awards

The Active, Fit and Sporty Awards took place on Wednesday 4th March at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

The night began spectacularly with a flashmob from Killicomaine Junior High School which celebrated body positivity and all the options people have to get Active, Fit and Sporty.

Angela Platt (Female Sports Forum Chair) opened the event with a look back on the last 10 years of the organisation. The Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey MLA then spoke about the importance of sport in the community.

The first 3 awards were presented by Lady Mary Peters; gold medal winner at the 1972 Munich Olympics and founder of the Mary Peter’s Trust.

Our first guest speakers for the evening were Erin McConnell and Bethany Firth. Erin is the current Irish Senior Triathlon Champion who is currently competing on the world stage. She is also an ambassador for the Female Sports Forum. Bethany Firth is a swimmer who won 4 medals at the Rio Paralympic Games and she is aiming to repeat this feat in Tokyo this year.

The next 3 awards were presented by explorer Hannah Shields.

Our second guest speaker was Leah McCourt, an MMA fighter, who was fresh from her Bellator Dublin win. Leah is the first female to headline a Bellator Europe night.

The next 2 awards were presented by George Lucas; Chair of Sport NI.

Our final guest speaker was Hannah Shields, a dentist who was the first Northern Irish woman to conquer Everest and the first Irish woman to reach the North Pole. Hannah now competes in ultra-marathon events of up to 101 miles.

The final 2 awards were presented by Minister Hargey.

Tandy Haughey (Ulster University) closed the evening with a look to what the future holds for the Female Sports Forum.

A special thanks must go to Denise Watson our fantastic host for the evening; she has been a supporter of the Female Sports Forum since its launch. Thanks also to our sponsors for the event O’Neill’s Sportswear, Sport NI, Volunteer Now and Cathedral Eye Clinic.

Award Winners:

  • Champion School Award- St. Louise’s College
  • Rising Star Award- Rachel McCune
  • Male Ally Award- Adekanmi Abayomi
  • Research Award- Grainne Donnelly
  • Community Sport Champion Award- WISPA
  • NGB Champion Award- RYA NI
  • Leadership Award- Rebecca Hillis
  • Inspiring Young Person Award- Chloe Jones
  • Media Award- Electric Ireland
  • Role Model Award- Katie Mullan

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