BASILDON-BASED gymnast Max Whitlock has been named Sports Personality of the Year at the Active Essex Sports Awards 2014.

At a glittering ceremony at Colchester United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium, in front of an audience of more than 250 people, Whitlock was announced the winner.

And he was thrilled to come out on top.

“It’s fantastic to win the award,” said Whitlock.

“I have recently moved to Basildon so I am a local lad and it’s great to be recognised in the area where people support me.

“There are lot of great guys that have had great results here so to be recognised at the top of it is a major feeling.

“I am so pleased with my achievements this year and I am looking forward to, hopefully, giving some more next year.

“The Europeans was a great starter and the Commonwealth Games was actually one of my favourite competitions that I have competed in.

“Obviously the World Championships and getting a silver medal there next to my idol (Kohei Uchimura) was lovely.”

Whitlock has been also been shortlisted for the BBC Sport Personality of the Year award.

He won five medals at the Commonwealth Games – three of which were gold, a world championship silver and a European Championship gold.

The Sports Club of the Year went to Southend Diving Club, one of most successful clubs of its kind in the country.

It carries out a massive talent identification project throughout the borough to find stars of the future and boasts one of the UK’s leading masters’ teams.

The Garon Park-based venue is also the host training venue and coaching provider for the ITV show ‘Splash’ and long term coach Bill Clark has been thrilled by the club’s development.

“It’s a club that has been established for a great number of years but we are now fortunate to be into a world class facility in Southend and the club has gone from strength to strength,” he said.

“We have grown enormously and we have got success at pretty much every level, from young kids right the way through to international divers.

“We go out to local schools and do talent testing. We have adult beginner lessons and children beginner lessons and masters as well.

“It’s a community based system as well as very competitive.

“We have Oliver Dingley who did well at the Commonwealth Games - winning a bronze medal. He has potential for Rio and we have some good youngsters as well.”

The Young Sports Personality of the Year went to Basildon’s Alice Green, who is the British Squash Champion in her age group.

Green said: “I have been playing squash for just two years.

“I used to play tennis but it got a bit boring.

“I wanted to play in the Olympics but squash isn’t in the Olympics, not yet.

“So I’d like to play in the Commonwealth Games.”

Disabled Sports of the Personality of the Year went to Rochford’s visually impaired sailor Lucy Hodges while the Services to Disability Sport award was won by Basildon’s Jack Edgar.

 

Other winners

Echo:

Bill Clark – receives the sports club of the year title for Southend Diving

Echo:

Lucy Hodges – winner of the disabled sport personality of the year

Echo:

Alice Green – young sports personality of the year 

Echo:

Jack Edgar – winner of the services to disabled sport award    

 

Active Essex Sports Awards 2014 results
l School or College of the Year (sponsored by Morgan Sindall PLC): Winner: Columbus school and college (Chelmsford); finalists: Chase Lane Nursery and Primary School (Tendring), Friars Primary School (Southend-on-Sea), Lee Chapel Primary School (Basildon). 


l Active Workplace of the year (sponsored by Writtle College): Winner: Visteon Engineering (Chelmsford); finalists: Harlow Council (Harlow), Stansted Airport (Uttlesford), 


l Coach of the Year (sponsored by Holiday Inn, Basildon): Winner: Sgt Steven Smith (Colchester); finalists: John Scott (Castle Point), Lauren Selby (Colchester). 


l Young Volunteer (sponsored by Essex & Suffolk Water): Winner: Olivia Hope Whyte (Tendring); finalists: Rhianna Worth (Brentwood), Samuel Cox (Brentwood). 


l Sports Club of the Year (sponsored by Wilson James): Winner: Southend Diving Club (Southend-on-Sea); finalists: Hadleigh Mountain Bike Club (Castle Point), Kats Netball Club (Colchester). 


l Physical Activity Project of the Year (sponsored by Fusion Lifestyle): Winner: Fitness in Mind (Brentwood); finalists: Challenge 2014 Campaign - Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford), Maru Karate Kai (Basildon). 


l Young Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Essex County Council): Winner: Alice Green (Basildon); finalists: Imogen Newby (Braintree), Joshua Bain (Colchester). 


l Disabled Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority): Winner: Lucy Hodges (Rochford); finalists: Hannah Stodel (Colchester), Matthew Hamilton (Basildon). 


l Services to Disability Sport (sponsored by Upshot systems): Winner: Jack Edgar (Basildon); finalists: Lucy Hodges MBE (Rochford), Recoil Trampoline Club (Brentwood). 


l Unsung Hero (sponsored by MRL Productions): Winner: Dot Naylor (Chelmsford); finalists: Dave Record (Rochford), Wendy Robinson (Maldon). 


l Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Colchester United FC): Winner: Max Whitlock (trains at South Essex Gymnastics Centre); finalists: Fiona Pennie (Canoe, lives in Epping, CR Cats and GB canoeing), Oliver Dingley (Diving, lives in Rochford, Southend Diving Club).