Leicester-Shire & Rutland County Sport Partnership Oldest Athlete Celebration Event

Held on Wednesday 29th September 2010 it celebrated the achievements of sports people, volunteers and physical activity participants from across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

Leading the way for sport and physical activity, Leicester-Shire & Rutland County Sport Partnership honoured 4,177 years worth of physical activity and sporting participation from 53 nominated active older people from across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. Local past, present and future Olympians were also present, sharing their experiences, motivations and ambitions with the hundred guests in the audience, responding to questions posed to them by children from Mountsorrel Primary School.

Mountsorrel Primary School has recently become a member of the London 2012 Get Set network. This complimented the inaugural Oldest Athlete Celebration Event with an intergenerational element. In fact, the event gained the coveted Inspire Mark and is proud to be supporting the 2012 legacy ambitions of Inspire LeicesterShire.

This event, which now looks set to become an annual celebration of our most senior, highly motivated and physically active members of our local community was a most humbling experience, where it was impossible not to be touched by the shared experiences; Geoff Oliver, aged 77 and winner of the Judges Panel Special Award, last weekend ran 103 miles in a gruelling 24 hour race; just shy of his own World Record. 50 years of passionate coaching, officiating and mentoring of young swimmers from Jill Stidever MBE, at 73 years of age the winner of the Volunteer Award. The star of the show and crowned as the ‘Oldest Athlete’, Pat Ward from Loughborough was delighted to tell the assembled audience how everyone should keep active and do exercise they enjoy, perhaps following her example of swimming most days at 98 years young.

The winners were selected from 53 nominees by a panel of judges who had the unenviable task of choosing the worthiest from this extensive list. The 2010 winners of The Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport, eight ‘Oldest Athlete’ categories are as follows:

1. Athlete Award
Alan Mellett, 76 years young, from Glen Parva said, “Basically I enjoy athletics as much as I did when I was younger, so I just keep going.”

2. Physical Activity Participant Award
Doris Brown, 83 years young, from Cosby said, “Being physically fit,

I just feel life is worth living.”

3. Volunteer Award
Jill Stidever MBE, 73 years young, from Markfield said, “I enjoy the achievements of others at every level from their first dip to winning medals.”

4. Team Player Award
Sue Jones, 61 years young, from Shepshed said, “Keep fit, keep healthy, keep happy.”


5. Individual Sports Person Award
Doreen Spiers, 87 years young, from Narborough said, “Try it, no matter what it is, you will feel the benefit. It can change your life.”


6. Outstanding/ Lifetime Achievement Award
Ted Toft, 85 years young, from Cosby said, “Never think that you are too old.”


7. Oldest Athlete Award
Pat Ward, 98 years young, from Loughborough said, “Keep active in whatever you enjoy doing.”

8. Judges Panel Special Award
Geoff Oliver, 77 years young, from Billesdon said, “I continue to study and never fail to be amazed by the achievements of so many people, young and old.”


Andy Reed, Chairman of Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport said, “Our vision is for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland to be the most sporting and physically active place in England by 2025. We hope many of the nominees will volunteer as Physical Activity Ambassadors to advocate the benefits of participation in sport and physical activity. Special thanks should go to Imago for hosting this truly inspirational event.”

“The London 2012 Games are fast approaching and the active legacy still being developed for us by these wonderfully amazing people was captured for a brief moment in time and is a real and tangible reminder that it is our responsibility to make the 2012 London Olympic Games work for us in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. We are in a unique situation when the eyes of the world will begin to look our way, very soon, with Team GB being based at Loughborough, we have an opportunity to gain advantages through business, cultural links, volunteering and many more opportunities that the Inspire LeicesterShire team are working very hard to identify and promote.” www.inspireleics.org.uk

If this has inspired you to become more active, physical activity programmes in Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland provide regular activities that will benefit anyone aged 16 years and over. For more information please contact the Physical Activity Team on 01509 564888 or visit www.lrsport.org.uk/active