The winners are:-

“The Vital Edge” will be winging its way to them shortly.

All three winners nominated truly awesome sports people as the ones who had inspired them most.

Barry “…loved watching Seve Ballesteros play golf with unique style. If there was a way to play the shot he would find it. (He) also stood up for his beliefs and developed the tour playing in Europe & the US.”

Seve was a real legend. He burst onto the golf scene and took it by storm. Young, flamboyant, charismatic and exciting. He played golf the way every aspiring golfer wished they could, with freedom and expression. He was universally loved and inspired many children (and adults) from countries where golf was not fashionable to take up the game.

Sheila nominated “….Katherine Grainger. A.rower who bounced back from defeat at Athens and Beijing to win gold in the doubles at London Olympics last year. Sheer determination and training even whilst studying hard for her various degrees.”

Who can forget that wonderful moment of joy and relief when Katherine eventually won her gold medal at the London Olympics?  Having been pipped at the post in three previous games, it must have felt like she was destined never to make the top of the podium. London really was her last shot, and she did it.  A tremendous achievement for a fantastic ambassador for the sport, and to think she achieved everything she did whilst also gaining an Honours law degree from Edinburgh, a Master of Philosophy degree in Medical Law from Glasgow, and studying for a PhD in Homicide at Kings College London.

Finally, and by no means least, Shaun nominated his own remarkable father, Leo Coffey. “My father, Leo. At 86 he is still competing in athletics and holds and sets world records every year. He has competed for over 60 years, at first just a middle of the field competitor. But persistence now sees him at the top of his game. He first represented his country at the age of 69. He never gave up…he shared his passion…he coached and mentored. he did his turn in administration…he always showed his enjoyment…and now Dad truly is a champion…and still strives for improvement…he’ll die running!….but he’ll never give up.”

What an inspiration Leo is, and what a boost in the arm for all of us who feel ourselves getting on a bit in years!  I checked Leo out on Google and was hugely impressed to find that he was part of an Australian M80 team that set a new world record time of 5.32.29 for the 4x400m relay (in 2012). And all of them over 80 years old.  Amazing.