That celebrated his work from grassroots in school clubs to working with elite athletes at Olympic Games

Working with British Cycling and the GB Cycling Team as a centralised coach for 17 years, Simon has since changed roles to work for a British based professional team, the INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team.

His enthusiasm for the sport, and the dedication he has shown to help cycling, and particularly Mountain Bike Cross-County Racing grow, has seen him land the prestigious award from UK Coaching, shining a spotlight on those who have gone above and beyond in transforming lives and communities through sport and physical activity.

“This has completely blown me away,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to win at all and this is a huge honour just to have the opportunity to attend the awards.

“I have been lucky enough to see and meet so many people involved in coaching across many areas, but to come away with an award is humbling and an amazing recognition.

“Coaching at the grassroots all the way to high performance sport, it’s given me a huge sense of fulfilment and the chance to work with amazing people. It blows me away day to day, sharing experiences and sharing moments with them.

“Setting up an environment where they can feel comfortable, they can thrive and go on to be the best they can be at whatever level, from entry level to high performance.

“I am very humbled to be recognised for what I enjoy so much.”

The awards are seen as one of the most prestigious within the coaching community, created to recognise the remarkable contributions coaches make – including outstanding coaches like Simon who continue to play a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of the nation.

UK Coaching’s CEO Mark Gannon congratulated Simon on his award, and for the profound coaching contribution that saw him honoured as part of the annual celebration:

“I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Simon on his fantastic work over many years as an outstanding coach. Simon, and all our UK Coaching Awards finalists, don’t just support more people into physical activity and sport, they also change lives, tackle inequalities and help build communities. They also have an insatiable appetite to be the best versions of themselves in order to help their participants.

“For our 25th UK Coaching Awards, the bar was raised once again, and it is so important that we acknowledge and thank all coaches, at all levels and in all settings, as they work tirelessly to support more people mentally and physically through physical activity and sport.”

Find out more about this year’s winners and the awards by heading to www.ukcoaching.org/uk-coaching-awards.

National award for Whaley Bridge cycling coach Simon Watts