The annual Leeds Sport Awards were held last Thursday 15 May at The Carriageworks Theatre with our University of Leeds students and staff scooping up a variety of awards. The awards celebrate and recognise incredible individuals, teams, and organisations who have made outstanding contributions to sport over the past year. Sport Leeds chair and one of our own, Rob Wadsworth, Director of Campus Innovation, said;
It was fantastic to see the University success across this years Leeds Sports Awards and a testament to the contributions that our staff and students make to the delivery of sport on campus and across the city, contributing to athletes competing on the world stage to encouraging participation in sport and physical activity by our students, staff and communities across Leeds.
University of Leeds award wins
Our staff and students had a very successful evening at the awards, being recognised across four categories:
Women’s basketball club captain Charlotte Williams won the Beacons of the city Community Coach award for the way in which she has revolutionised girls’ basketball with Leeds Let’s Do More through inclusive coaching, school outreach, and community sessions.
Student sports scholar and our very own Olympian Max Burgin picked up the award for Beacons of the city, Student sport champion. His journey to the Paris Olympics took outstanding effort and resilience. Overcoming injuries, he reached the 800m final – becoming the first Brit to do so since 2012 – where he ran a personal best of 1:43.50. Remarkably, he has done this whilst studying for a history degree here at Leeds.
Triathlon centre Head Coach Rhys Davey, a former University of Leeds student and training partner of the Brownlees was highly commended in the Champions of the City, Performance Coach category. He led the British Triathlon Centre to Olympic success in Paris, with medals for Beth Potter, Georgia Taylor-Brown, and Sam Dickinson with his leadership shaping the future of British triathlon.
Finally, Netball Head Coach Joan Young received a special recognition and was celebrated for her special contribution to netball. Joan has coached netball in Leeds for over 25 years, inspiring countless athletes to reach elite levels. She has been Head Coach at the University since 2014, leading our first team to their first-ever BUCS Premier League promotion in 2023–24, finishing second two seasons in a row. A former Head Coach of Netball Ireland, Joan is known for her tactical expertise, dedication to player well-being, and strong leadership.
Andrew Lockwood, Assistant Head of Sport who attended the awards said;
What an amazing evening celebrating sport in the city, it was so inspiring to hear the stories of the winners, from elite athletes to grassroots sport volunteers. It is a wonderful way to recognise those who contribute so much. We are incredibly proud of those who are a part of the University who both won awards and were highly commended. Sport in Leeds is alive and kicking!
University of Leeds awards sponsors
The University are a keen sponsor of the awards, sponsoring the Inspirational Community Champion award. This award recognises and celebrates an individual, club or organisation that has created and developed an outstanding sporting environment in which diversity and inclusivity is at the heart of everything they do to motivate and support others to stay or become active in their neighbourhood or community. This year, the award was presented by Sam Glennister-Batey, Deputy Director of Commerical and Business Development.
Congratulations to all the athletes who were honoured at the awards, it was such a special night celebrating all the incredible people who contribute to sport in our great city of Leeds.
