Michelle doubles up at awards
LAGGAN equestrian Michelle Chalmers scooped the senior Badenoch and Strathspey sports personality of the year award – on the night she turned 21.
The other main winners on the night were Yandra Banks Brown, a member of the Cairngorm Ski Club, who took home the B&S Young Sports Personality of the Year award.
Grantown GP Andrew Melton received the coach of the year award for his mountain biking work with local youngsters, while Julie MacWhirter took home a services to sport in the area gong for her work with the Active Schools programme, aimed at getting pupils healthy.
The awards are run by Badenoch and Strathspey Sports Council who provide financial support to help local athletes and clubs.
Miss Chalmers won the main prize on the night – her second trophy from the BSSC in six years.
The former Kingussie High School pupil won the junior sports personality award back in 2005, when she was 15 years old.
She said this year’s award topped off her best season yet. "It was a fantastic birthday present," said Michelle, who runs her own horse yard by Laggan.
"I didn’t think that someone of my age would be getting it. To be able to win the junior and senior awards is lovely."
She has now set her target on getting into the under-21 United Kingdom riding squad. Miss Chalmers also paid tribute to her best horse, Bandoshea, for her rise up the ranks.
"I love the challenge of riding and sense of achievement you get from training a horse," she said.
"When I took over Bandoshea six years ago, it was because no one else wanted her and she is now one of the best horses in Scotland."
Miss Chalmers took home the second place prize with Bandoshea at the Scone Palace Horse Trial, where the mare came second in her qualifying category.
She also finished in the top 10 in every one of the 12 competitions she rode in last season – and most were top five placings.
Lynn Murray, secretary of the BSSC, said Miss Chalmer’s ambition, perseverance and vision had made her an obvious choice for the award amongst the 10 judges.
"We picked Michelle because of her outstanding achievements to date," she said. "She wants to compete in the Young Riders’ English Championships at Blair Castle in August at two star level.
"Michelle finished 2010 with five second placings and four first placings at national level.
"Her outstanding achievements, her ambition, her dedication and her sportsmanship made her an obvious choice."
Chairman of Wolfpax Riding Club, Andrew Melton, was flattered to receive his award for coaching, but felt the gong should reflect the efforts of the club as a whole.
"There’s lots of other coaches within the club who this award should also recognise."
Dr Melton said there were important physical and psychological benefits to cycling, especially for the youngsters he coached.
"Eight to 18-year-olds meet from across the local area to learn and practice mountain biking. It gives them confidence and it’s social. It provides that sense of risk that they need and it keeps them from other destructive behaviour."
Gym and girls’ shinty coach Julie MacWhirter echoed Mr Melton’s comments about the positive knock-on effect sport has on the lives of her pupils.
"It is another sport in the area that gives them flexibility, strength and a sense of working together."
A full-time police constable and mother-of-three, Ms MacWhirter said the award had taken her by surprise.
"I didn’t expect it. I do Active Schools for my own children – that’s what got me involved.
"My oldest girl, Shannon (14), still does gym, as does my youngest, Abbie (7), but my boy, Sean (11), stopped.
"They play shinty and get involved in the school sports as well."
Winner of the B&S Young Sports Personality of the Year award, Yandra Banks-Brown proves the theory.
The 14-year-old Grantown Grammar pupil received the Rannoch Bursary for skiing last winter and has just finished six weeks training in France at the British Academy in Les Houces.
"We did lots of gate training, but we also did school work," said the S3 pupil. "Winning was quite a shock! I didn’t think I would get it. I’m really happy about it."
The teenager said skiing in Scotland was great training, but lacked the longer, steep pistes of the Alps.
Miss Banks-Brown has been improving her slalom, grand-slalom and super-grand slalom technique with Cairngorm Ski Club and has been invited to train with the Scottish Ski Team.