Photo Courtesy: Jiri Hodan
YORKSHIRE, Britain, September 29. Mel Marshall has been announced as the first woman to ever receive the British Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year award at the annual conference.
Marshall coached Adam Peaty to seven Commonwealth and European medals and two world records in 2014.
Peaty has been coached by Mel since he was 14-years old and this year saw him stood on top of the podium in the 100m Breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games and also pick up silver in the 50m Breaststroke.
At the European Championships, he won four gold medals with two individual titles in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke.
“I just want to say huge thanks to the City of Derby Swimming club for all of their support,” Marshall said. “Dreams do come true. I am truly humbled and honoured to receive Coach of the Year.
“But it’s all the volunteers and positive people we have on board in the background that make the dream work. To all that support me I thank you and to all that have stood in my way I thank you too.
“I thank my Mum for bringing me up to have deep routed fearlessness and engrained messages of ‘make the best of what you have’. Enough celebrating now it’s time to keep trying to move forward.”
Rob Greenwood was awarded Para-Swimming Coach of the Year after the team exceeded their medal target at the IPC European Championships in Eindhoven.
Adam Baker won Youth Coach of the Year after coaching Daniel Jervis to bronze in the 1500m at the Commonwealth Games.
Other awards were given to Sean Balmer (the Alan Hime Memorial Award) and seven Coaching Awards of Excellence were given to Kevin Renshaw, Patrick Miley, James Gibson, Ben Higson, Jon Rudd, Dave McNulty and Richard Denigan.
Terry Dennison was given the George Bole Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Swimming Coaching in Great Britain for his dedication to the sport throughout his career.
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