Local cycling star Josie Nelson has been nominated for a prestigious award.
Burton-born Josie is up for Regional Champion of the Year (East) at Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions Awards, which are due to be held at Porchester Hall in Bayswater, London on Tuesday, November 7.
The event will be hosted by Great Britain’s double world 110m hurdles champion and former world record holder Colin Jackson.
Everyone Active runs more than 220 leisure and cultural centres across the country, including Meadowside Leisure Centre, Uttoxeter Leisure Centre and Shobnall Leisure Complex in East Staffordshire, in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council.
The company’s Sporting Champions scheme is a sports talent development programme which supports 1,400 athletes.
Now in its seventh year, the initiative has helped thousands of athletes to achieve their sporting potential by providing free access to Everyone Active’s leisure facilities nationwide.
Josie, 21, who trains at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre, competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the women’s road race and is stepping up to World Tour team level in 2024.
Award winners will include those who have had career successes or who have engaged with the Sporting Champions scheme and their local Everyone Active centre. Everyone Active will also celebrate those who have helped to inspire other up-and-coming sportsmen and women.
The awards ceremony will be preceded by a mentoring workshop, led by the scheme’s team of Elite athletes.
Olympic and Paralympic stars Lutalo Muhammad, Richard Kilty, Maisie Summers-Newton, Kadeena Cox and Lauren Steadman will share their insights and experiences to help guide the Sporting Champions athletes in their own careers.
Dan Mclean, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are really looking forward to celebrating the fantastic achievements of all the Sporting Champions athletes at Porchester Hall, including Josie.
“The scheme has been very successful in providing exceptional support to emerging talent and we are delighted to be showcasing this.
“It’s fantastic to see how the scheme has expanded over the years, now providing more than 1,400 athletes nationwide with access to top-quality training facilities and support.
“As a leisure provider working in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community, and we hope to continue making a real difference to our athletes’ success.”
Cllr Paul Walker, East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Tourism and Cultural Development, said: “We are very proud of Josie’s sporting achievements, which pay testament to the great facilities we have here in East Staffordshire. This also demonstrates the benefits of the Sporting Champions programme, which is a great opportunity for any aspiring athlete within the Borough looking to maximise their potential.”