Derbyshire Olympian Ellie Koyander named University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year
15 November 2010
Derbyshire Sports Awards ceremony held at the Roundhouse.
From left to right: David Joy, Partnership Director - Derbyshire Sport, Bob Wilson and Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne.
Derbyshire Olympian Ellie Koyander has been named University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year at the Derbyshire Sports Awards.
Freestyle moguls skier Ellie, from Tideswell, won the coveted title after a successful year which saw her compete at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The 19-year-old became the youngest British Olympic moguls skier to compete in the history of the Winter Olympics, and the youngest female member of the 2010 GB Olympic team.
Ellie was announced as the winner of the University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year title during a ceremony at The Roundhouse in Derby, which was attended by more than 250 people.
Professor John Coyne, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, presented the trophy to Ellie's father, Peter Koyander, as Ellie is currently training in Colorado.
Ellie said: "Winning this award means so much to me. It is really great to be recognised for my skiing and shows how far I have come. It has been an amazing year for me."
Runner-up in the University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year category was Emma Wheeldon from Chesterfield, who is the current English, British, European and World champion in Clay Pigeon Shooting DTL (Down the Line Trap Shooting). She is the only person in any discipline to hold all the major titles in one year.
The evening saw trophies awarded in 12 categories, as the county's brightest sporting stars, coaches and volunteers gathered with other invited guests to celebrate another year of sporting success in Derbyshire and recognise some of the community heroes and coaches who have contributed to sport at grassroots level.
They were joined by former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper and TV personality Bob Wilson, who is originally from Derbyshire, who was guest speaker at the awards. Derbyshire badminton star Donna Kellogg was also in attendance and was presented with a special Lifetime Achievement Award by her former teacher, Jeff Gould, who introduced her to badminton when she was a pupil at Borrow Wood Junior School in Spondon.
Before retiring at the end of 2009, Donna had competed at three Olympic Games, won six Commonwealth medals, a silver medal at the World Championships in Madrid and 11 English National titles.
Other winners on the evening included wheelchair basketball player Jon Hall, who was named the University of Derby Disabled Sportsperson of the Year for a third year running.
Jon was part of the Great Britain wheelchair basketball squad which won gold at the Paralympic World Cup in May, and was also part of the GB squad which competed at the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Birmingham.
Runners-up in the University of Derby Disabled Sportsperson of the Year category were wheelchair fencer Tom Hall-Butcher from Somercotes, who is the top Sabreur in Great Britain, and wheelchair basketball player Maddie Thompson from Hope, who was part of the GB Womens team which competed at the Paralympic World Cup and the World Championships. At 15 years old she is still the youngest current member of the GB Womens team.
Meanwhile Maddie went one better in the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year category, winning the title for the second year in a row.
14-year-old Quarndon snooker player Hannah Jones, who retained the World Ladies Junior title for a third consecutive time, was named the Derby City Council Junior Sportswoman of the Year, and Belper gymnast Greg Townley was named Derby City Council Junior Sportsman of the Year. Greg is seven-times British Tumbling Champion and won a silver medal at last year's World Age Group Tumbling Championships in Russia.
Other awards presented on the night included the Derby Telegraph Service to Sport Award, which was presented to Chris Cohen, from Alfreton, by Colston Crawford, deputy sports editor of the Derby Telegraph. Chris has volunteered in athletics at county, national and international level for more than 30 years, and has officiated at seven Paralympic Games and five Olympic Games as well as numerous World Championships and other events around the world.
The Wirksworth and Middleton Cricket Club U13 Girls Team was named Derbyshire 2012 Junior Team of the Year, and the Draycott and Long Eaton Table Tennis Club was named the Derbyshire County Council Club of the Year.
Cheryl Naylor from Ripley Netball Club won the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Community Coach of the Year award, Taekwondo coach Gary Bradshaw from Morton was named the Derbyshire 2012 Performance Coach of the Year, Oliver Hooper from Chesterfield won the Connexions Derbyshire Limited Young Sports Leader/Young Coach of the Year award and John Raw from Derby Athletic Club won the Origination Contribution to School Sport award.
A full list of winners and runners-up is below.Further details can be seen at www.derbyshiresport.co.uk/sports_awards
The awards are organised by Derbyshire Sport, a county sports partnership which provides the strategic lead for sport in Derbyshire.
Cllr Carol Hart, Chair of Derbyshire Sport, said: "We have a wealth of talented sports performers and dedicated coaches and volunteers in the county, and it is great to be able to recognise the dedication these people show and the contribution that they make.
"My congratulations go to each of the winners and all the finalists and I wish them many more years of sporting success.
"It was great to see so many people join us at The Roundhouse to celebrate all that is great about sport in Derbyshire."
Headline sponsor of the awards were the University of Derby, who were joined by category sponsors the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, Derby Telegraph, Derby City Council, Origination, the Derbyshire management group for the 2012 Games, Connexions Derbyshire Limited and Derbyshire County Council.
The winners of the 2010 Derbyshire Sports Awards are:
University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year:
- Winner: Ellie Koyander (Derbyshire Dales - Freestyle Moguls Skiing)
- Runner-up: Emma Wheeldon (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Clay Pigeon Shooting).
University of Derby Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
- Winner: Jon Hall (Bolsover - Wheelchair Basketball)
- Runner-up: Tom Hall-Butcher (Amber Valley - Wheelchair Fencing)
- Maddie Thompson (High Peak - Wheelchair Basketball).
Derby City Council Junior Sportsman of the Year
- Winner: Greg Townley (Amber Valley - Gymnastics)
- Runner-up: Sam Mak (Derbyshire Dales - Wushu).
Derby City Council Junior Sportswoman of the Year
- Winner: Hannah Jones (Amber Valley - Snooker)
- Runner-up: Emma Erskine (Derbyshire Dales - Kickboxing and Athletics).
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
- Winner: Maddie Thompson (High Peak - Wheelchair Basketball)
- Runner-up: Robert Abraham (Erewash - Swimming).
Derbyshire 2012 Junior Team of the Year
- Winner: Wirksworth and Middleton CC U13 Girls Team (Derbyshire Dales - Cricket)
- Runner-up: Blackwell and District Young Striders AC U11s (Bolsover - Athletics)
- Woodlands School KS3 Girls Badminton team (Derby - Badminton).
Derbyshire County Council Club of the Year
- Winner: Draycott and Long Eaton Table Tennis Club (Erewash - Table Tennis)
- Runner-up: Hilton Harriers FC - (South Derbyshire - Football).
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Community Coach of the Year
- Winner: Cheryl Naylor (Amber Valley - Netball)
- Runner-up: Natalie James (South Derbyshire - Football).
Derbyshire 2012 Performance Coach of the Year
- Winner: Gary Bradshaw (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Taekwondo)
- Runner-up: Gary McCaffery (Derbyshire Dales - Triathlon and Swimming).
Connexions Derbyshire Limited Young Sports Leader/Young Coach of the Year
- Winner: Oliver Hooper (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Various sports)
- Runner-up: Rebecca Hinchley (Derbyshire Dales - Various sports).
Derby Telegraph Service to Sport Award
- Winner: Chris Cohen (Amber Valley - Athletics)
- Highly commended: Tom White (Bolsover - Football).
Origination Contribution to School Sport
- Winner: John Raw (Derby - Athletics)
- Highly commended: Michelle Coates (South Derbyshire - Cricket).
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Donna Kellogg (Derby - Badminton).
Derbyshire Sport is a county sports partnership and provides the strategic lead for sport in Derbyshire. It is a partnership organisation made up of partners working together to improve the lives of the people in Derbyshire through sport and active recreation. Sport England East Midlands is a major funder of Derbyshire Sport.
To discuss this further please contact Nikki Sargeson on 01773 571227 or 07900227017 or e-mail nikki.sargeson@derbyshire.gov.uk
