The trio were awarded the Male and Female Sports Achievers of the Year with Neil Fachie also picking up Disability Sports Achiever again.
The awards come as recognition for the monumental year they have had in their fields, where they all picked up Olympic medals in Rio.
The Rio-tastic awards ceremony hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership at the AECC saw hundreds of guests pay tribute to the winners and finalists.
David Florence also delivered the keynote speech, where he praised the continued improvement of sports facilities in the city, and encouraged young people to get active.
It is the 23rd year of the Aberdeen Sports Awards, held to recognise the commitment, dedication and achievements of local athletes, teams, volunteers and coaches who put Aberdeen on the sporting map.
Speaking after the awards, a spokesperson for the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP) said:
“The AAP would like to extend a huge congratulations to all of the winning finalists.
“This was the biggest Aberdeen Sports Award to date and it really demonstrated the wealth of sporting talent Aberdeen has to offer the world.
“From Neil Fachie, to Aberdeen Snow Sports, to Hazlehead Primary and so many more, we can all take huge pride from the impact they have had not only on their sport, but in inspiring the next generation to become more active.”
Other awards included Lifetime Achievement award to Bill Berry, who has been involved in sport for over 61 years as a competitor, coach, referee and one of Scotland’s highest grade judo players.
Male Sports Achiever of the Year
Neil Fachie and David Florence
Female Sports Achiever of the Year – Sponsored by the Evening Express
Winner: Katherine Grainger
Highly Commended: Jackie Lockhart
Junior Male Sports Achiever of the Year – Sponsored by Stronachs
Winner: John Docherty
Highly Commended: Dylan Curry
Highly Commended: Finn Bremner
Junior Female Achiever of the Year- Sponsored by McLeod+Aitken
Hannah Gray
Veteran Sports Achiever of the Year – Sponsored by AFCCT
Jackie Lockhart
Disability Sport Achiever of the Year- Sponsored by Baker Hughes
Neil Fachie
Student of the Year – Sponsored by Aberdeen University
Winner: Lewis McCue
Highly Commended: Douglas Green
Club of the Year- Sponsored by ID Verde
Winner: Aberdeen Snow Sports
Highly Commended: Aberdeen Sooyang Do
Highly Commended: Wanderers RFC
Team of the Year – Sponsored by Spree
Zariba
Primary School of the Year- Sponsored by David Lloyd
Winner: Kingswells Primary
Highly Commended: Hazlehead Primary
Secondary School of the Year – Sponsored by Sport Aberdeen
Winner: Bridge of Don Academy
Highly Commended: Hazlehead Academy
Outstanding Commitment– Sponsored by Aberdeen Sports Village
Winner: Leroy Smith
Highly commended: Lorna Presley
Highly Commended: Len Nicol
Volunteer of the Year – Sponsored by Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership
Jim Livingston
Supporter of the Year – Sponsored by Petrolink
Aquatic Engineering
Junior Sports Coach of the Year – Sponsored by Aberdeen Snowsports Centre
Kieran Henderson
Adult Sports Coach of the Year- Sponsored by RGU
Winner: Sara Paterson
Highly Commended: Sally Carns
Lifetime Achievement – Sponsored by Aberdeen City Council
Bill Berry
IJS means all skaters will be judged using the International Judging System with video playback available to the judging panel – just like any competition you see on TV.
IJS skaters are judged on each technical element performed – jumps, spins step sequence, as well as up to 5 programme component skills – skating skills, transitions/linking footwork/movement, choreography/composition, performance/execution and interpretation.
The competition is open for competitors throughout the UK to compete.
Commenting, Club Secretary, Yvonne Manson said:
“We are very excited to be given the opportunity from the National Ice Skating Association to host such a prestigious event here in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club are working around the clock to make the competition a success, which will allow it to be an annual event.
“Judges are flying in from Germany, Poland and Bulgaria as well as the UK to evaluate the efforts of over 300 competitors over the course of three days.
“Sport Aberdeen and its team at the Linx Ice Arena have been with the Club every step of the way throughout the past year to help us make this happen.”
Ahead of the IJS Open Competition, Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club is now seeking sponsors to boost the event. Ms Manson added:
“Hosting such an event unfortunately does not come cheap. We have to pay for all officials travel costs and accommodation, Trophies for the winners of each individual competition – approximately 35 – as well as day to day running costs. This is going to be a great event and we would welcome any sponsorship to help with these costs.”
A spokesperson for Sport Aberdeen said:
“That an event of this scale is coming to Aberdeen is testament to the hard work put in by Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club. Sport Aberdeen is proud to support this competition, which we hope will inspire many more people to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club are hosting their first International Judging System (IJS) Open Competition during the weekend of 14th – 16th October at Sport Aberdeen’s Linx Ice Arena.
IJS means all skaters will be judged using the International Judging System with video playback available to the judging panel – just like any competition you see on TV.
IJS skaters are judged on each technical element performed – jumps, spins step sequence, as well as up to 5 programme component skills – skating skills, transitions/linking footwork/movement, choreography/composition, performance/execution and interpretation.
The competition is open for competitors throughout the UK to compete.
Commenting, Club Secretary, Yvonne Manson said:
“We are very excited to be given the opportunity from the National Ice Skating Association to host such a prestigious event here in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club are working around the clock to make the competition a success, which will allow it to be an annual event.
“Judges are flying in from Germany, Poland and Bulgaria as well as the UK to evaluate the efforts of over 300 competitors over the course of three days.
“Sport Aberdeen and its team at the Linx Ice Arena have been with the Club every step of the way throughout the past year to help us make this happen.”
Ahead of the IJS Open Competition, Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club is now seeking sponsors to boost the event. Ms Manson added:
“Hosting such an event unfortunately does not come cheap. We have to pay for all officials travel costs and accommodation, Trophies for the winners of each individual competition – approximately 35 – as well as day to day running costs. This is going to be a great event and we would welcome any sponsorship to help with these costs.”
A spokesperson for Sport Aberdeen said:
“That an event of this scale is coming to Aberdeen is testament to the hard work put in by Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club. Sport Aberdeen is proud to support this competition, which we hope will inspire many more people to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Sport Aberdeen has secured £2,000 in funding to deliver an innovative new swimming programme aimed at supporting women who have experienced abuse.
The charitable leisure trust has developed a six week swimming programme to support women who have experience some form of abuse. The project will now be rolled out as a pilot after it successfully secured funding from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, administered by Foundation Scotland.
It will be led by Sport Aberdeen with support from the Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen.
Commenting, Sport Aberdeen Aquatics Manager Dianne Breen said:
“The developed programme will consist of two six-week swimming taster courses to enable women to gain confidence in the swimming pool.
“The one hour weekly session, taught by a qualified teacher, will teach women to swim and will be based on the individual needs and requirements of the women.
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.
“Thanks to the funding secured from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, Sport Aberdeen and the Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen can now look forward to rolling out this innovative project.”
The Chair of Violence Against Women Partnership Aberdeen, Cllr Lesley Dunbar, added:
“We look forward to this being the beginning of some sport and physical activity partnership working with Sport Aberdeen.”
The Beach Leisure Centre has been shortlisted for a prestigious fitness industry award, beating off strong competition to make the finals.
The Sport Aberdeen venue has been shortlisted in the Regional Gym of the Year (Scotland) category at the National Fitness Awards, an annual event which recognises excellence and achievement in gyms throughout the country.
Earlier this year, Sport Aberdeen tasked its fitness development partner Pulse with the dramatic refit of the Beach Leisure Centre gym with state-of-the-art strength and training equipment.
The awards are organised by leading fitness industry magazine Workout, with support from headline sponsor ServiceSport, and in each category up to seven finalists have been selected, who will now go through to the next stage of the judging process where they will be out to impress by showcasing first hand the great work going on in their clubs.
This stage involves a visit to each finalist by a member of the Workout team who will take a look around the facilities and chat to members and staff before compiling a comprehensive report, which will then be passed on to an expert judging panel to decide the lucky winners.
Trophies will then be handed out a glittering awards ceremony on Friday December 2 at The Athena in Leicester, which will be hosted by boxing world champion Ricky Hatton and award winning personal trainer and star of The Apprentice Katie Bulmer-Cooke.
National Fitness Awards’ director Judith Halkerston said:
“The quality and quantity of National Fitness Awards’ entries just keep improving year on year and everyone who has been shortlisted this year should be really proud of their achievement so far as competition was so strong and standards so high.
“The team is really looking forward to visiting all our shortlisted clubs and seeing some of the great work that is going on in the fitness industry on a daily basis.”
Director of Operations and Asset Development for Sport Aberdeen, Keith Gerrard, said:
“We are truly delighted that the Beach Leisure Centre has been shortlisted for such a prestigious national title.
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity. This approach shines through in the Beach Leisure Centre which is proudly an essential part of the community.
“The recent modernisation of the Beach Leisure Centre gym with state of the art equipment is one of many examples of our ongoing commitment to providing an excellent offer to our customers.
“None of this would have been achieved without the hard work of colleagues at Sport Aberdeen. We look forward to the next stage of this process.”
Skaters based at Sport Aberdeens Linx Ice Arena have been selected to for the Great Britain Development Squad.
Lauren Tough (11), Ella Sherwood (13) and Imogen Vickers (15) have all been selected into the NISA’s (National Ice Skating Association) Regional Development Squad for Great Britain.
The three skaters are members of Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club with this being Ella’s and Imogen’s first selection while Lauren is looking forward to her third successive selection.
As well as the endless hours of training in Aberdeen, the girls regularly travel around the UK to participate in various competitions and specilised training sessions, an indication of how much work is needed to skate at their level.
Sport Aberdeen would like to congratulate the club, coach Ann Cronin and all three girls on this remarkable achievement and look forward to hearing more about them as their careers progress.
City of Aberdeen Gymnastics Club (COAG) are celebrating Orianne Slaters most recent success.
Competing in the Disability Artistic Gymnastics British Championships 2016 at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Telford, Orianne would retain her title national title and be crowned 2016 British Disability Junior Overall Champion.
Following her impressive results at last’s years event, Orianne Slater again headed to the competition in fine form. Despite uncertainty regarding a number of newcomers attending the event, she displayed great prowess and confidence to come away Gold on Floor, Vault and Asymmetric Bars as well as Silver on Balance Beam.
Orianne’s mother Lydie was delighted with her performance with the pair already looking forward to the future.
“Orianne and her coach, Lorna Presly, are very happy with these results! Indeed, these have increased her chances of being selected for the British Disability Masters event, which will take place during the hugely popular ‘2017 Gymnastics British Championships’ in Liverpool, next March.
For now though, Orianne’s next event is the Scottish Disability Voluntaries Championships 2016 (Kelvin Hall, Glasgow) on Saturday 1st October, where she will be competing for the Scottish Junior title and for which she is training intensely.”
Sport Aberdeen would like to congratulate clubCAP members COAG, Lorna, Lydie and of course Orianne on their most recent success which will undoubtedly lead to more in the future.
This Sunday, (11th September) registered charity Sport Aberdeen will join forces with Clubbercise and STV Children’s Appeal to host a unique workout class in aid of charity.
Clubbercise instructor, Emma Sinclair, has organised a fundraiser to raise money for the one in five children in Scotland affected by poverty.
Using the hallmarks of the 90’s rave culture – glow sticks and disco lights – Aberdonians are being asked to take part in the fun work-out to dance classics from recent decades.
The class will be taking place at Sport Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre and is due to run from 2-4pm.
To take part, participants are asked to make a donation of £5 per person. They can book a slot now via the below link:
www.bookwhen.com/exercisewithemma
Commenting, Clubbercise Instructor Emma Sinclair said:
“Come along and join us on Sunday the 11th of September at the Beach Leisure Centre. Get your glow on, dance to some great tunes and have fun while helping raise money for the STV Children’s Appeal. The money raised will be used to help children living in poverty right here in Scotland. I am honoured to be involved in this great event and hope to see you all there.”
A spokesperson for Sport Aberdeen added:
“Sport Aberdeen is delighted to support this event by providing the venue free of charge. The class is a unique opportunity to get fit and fundraise for a good cause. There are still spaces available so we would encourage people across Aberdeen to don their rave gear and sign up.”
Elizabeth Partyka from STV Children’s Appeal said:
“We are very grateful to Emma and Sport Aberdeen for supporting STV Children’s Appeal with donations from this weekend’s Clubbercise class. I hope people across the city come out in force to take part in the event as every donation, big or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland.”
A popular programme of Walking Football looks set to continue following a successful 12-week pilot.
The sessions, as led by AFC Community Trust and hosted at Sport Aberdeens Beach Leisure Centre, have enjoyed an impressive attendance rate since its introduction and will now become a staple at the venue.
Walking Football is a fun, social and friendly approach to the beautiful game and is suitable for anyone who cannot manage the impact of a standard game, but still has the drive to stay fit and healthy via football. Walking Football is a growing sport around the country and is ideal for older participants and those aiming to get in better shape.
A Sport Aberdeen representative said:
“We are not at all surprised to witness the success of these sessions. Walking Football is a sport that continues to grow around the country and the Beach Leisure Centre sessions have enjoyed a high attendance rate since its introduction.
By supporting fantastic sessions like these, we continue our drive to create opportunities for everyone in the city to take part in sport & physical activity. AFC Community Trust lead an amazing programme of Walking Football and we are proud to work alongside them.“
The sessions will now take place from 7-8pm every Wednesday, with Aberdeen Football Club Defender, Anthony O’Connor, visiting a session at the Beach Leisure Centre.
Debra Christie, Fundraising and Business Development Co-ordinator for AFCCT and Walking Football participant said:
“Walking Football is such a fantastic initiative, meeting up with like-minded individuals with the same aims is very motivating. Everyone just has a great laugh and I would encourage anyone looking get fit to come along and give it a go!”
Active Ageing Development Officer, Paula Bisset, completed the Glasgow – Edinburgh Heart Trekkers Walk in aid of British Heart Foundation, alongside her good friend Lynn.
The pair managed to walk the full 100K challenge and finished the grueling walk 29 hours after setting off from Glasgow.
Originally aiming to raise £500 for the British Heart Foundation, the duo would raise (to date) £1400.
Speaking after the walk, Paula said:
“This was the hardest thing mentally and physically either of us have ever done. Around 200 started the walk at Kelvingrove Park and 67 had to pull out before the end, so we are delighted to have made it to the finish line.
The British Heart Foundation works so hard to ensure that families don’t lose loved ones to heart disease, as I have lost my dad, mum and brother and every penny raised for them will go to research and raising awareness .”
Congratulations to both Paula and Lynn on their fundraising efforts and amazing challenge.
Paula is still accepting donations to her wonderful cause via her JustGiving page.
Organisers of the annual Disability National Bowls Championship are asking for volunteers to assist with the event on match day.
Scottish Disability Sport and venue hosts, Sport Aberdeen, are set to hold the competition Saturday 3rd September and are calling on the public to help make the event another great success.
The competition is celebrating its 30th year in Aberdeen and will again be held at Westburn Outdoor Sports Centre. However, the event relies on local bowlers volunteering, primarily as markers, as well as local umpires.
Volunteers must be 16 or over with and should contact 01224 047926 for more information.