I was just out with my Mum, Nan and Grandad at the garden centre when an email popped up on my phone...   Congratulations!  You and your RunTogether Group Tingley RunFIT have been selected as the winner in the RunTogether Group or Leader of the Year category for Yorkshire and Humberside!

To be nominated for an award would make me feel so proud, but to win!  WOW!  It wasn't a milestone I had reached without the support of others.

I was invited to the awards do and could take along one guest.  How would I choose just one person?  I wanted to take the whole squad!  It was decided that I would take fellow Run Leaders so we could celebrate together.

Next we had a couple of important things to decide, what to eat, and what to wear!  I was never in doubt that profiteroles were my choice!

We decided to keep it to ourselves (except a sneaky tweet I may have done through initial excitement!) and then tell everyone on the night.  Unfortunately on the day Emma wasn't feeling great so we needed someone to fill in at short notice, ideally someone on the way there as we were on a schedule.  A quick call to Sharon...

"Do you like cake?"

"Yes"

"Do you like free cake?"

"Yes...."

"Be ready in 40 minutes, we will pick you up, you will be fed"

"Ok!"

Sharon didn't have a clue where we were going or why, so we kept it that way to add to the excitement!

We found out that all nominations go to the England Athletics Council who then read through and have the difficult decision to make.  We were lucky enough to be sat with some of the members and chatted about various races they'd done and events they'd suggest.  We even got to meet Dorothy Hyman, an Olympic athlete!  Her record for 100metres is 11.54....next time we are at the track we now have a challenge, I may even invite her!  Once eaten and listened to the awards it was nice to just mingle before heading home.

It was only then I realised how far we had come.  Yes, I may have started TRF.  But it started as a way to ensure I got out and ran, whilst motivating others.  Now it's just so much more than that, and I wouldn't change it for the world.  People have improved physically and mentally too, that isn't because of me, that is because of each of you who come along and support each other.  I've accepted the award, and it's currently in prime place in the living room (until Strawberry arrives and it needs relocating!), but really this award is for all of you.  Well done, and thank you.

Here's the offical information from england Athletics with the reasons for the nomination too - https://www.englandathletics.org/england-athletics-news/yorkshire-and-humberside-volunteer-awards