Meet our Champions of the North finalists

Jun 15 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

THE Sunday Sun has always been your champion but now we can unveil the Champions of the North among you, our readers.

It’s been three months since we launched the search for the region’s heroes and you responded by making more than 250 nominations.

Our judges have now whittled that down to three finalists in each category and the winners will be unveiled next month at a glittering awards ceremony at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, where they will receive plaques and £500 prize money.

Sunday Sun editor Colin Patterson said: “The ceremony is always a magical occasion, attended by stars from the sporting and showbiz world.

“Each event has been both moving and inspirational, as well as a lot of fun for all involved.”

In the meantime, here is a full rundown of our shortlisted entires, from COREENA FORD and PAULINE HOLT . . .

Champion teacher

MICHAEL McCLEAN was devastated when a neck injury forced him to quit playing rugby nine years ago.

But, when his two young sons wanted to take up the sport a few years later, he found himself back in the scrum.

Michael, 40, from Annitsford, Nothumberland, enrolled Andrew, 16, and Joseph, 14, at his old club — Seghill Rugby Club — and ended up rejoining too . . . as a youth coach.

It is now five years since Michael took on the role of coaching the under-16s, teaching up to 22 youngsters at regular training sessions ahead of their weekly matches.

And the heavy-plant operator takes on all this responsibility while caring for his disabled wife Edna, two teenage boys and his mother, who has inoperable cancer. Parents, fellow club members and friends can’t praise him enough for his passion and commitment to teaching the youngsters.

TWINKLE-TOED Audrey Lloyd has taught hundreds of people to dance over the last 40 years, but her most famous pupil was the late honourable member for Redcar and Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlem.

Audrey says: "She happened to wander into the community centre one day and said ‘Can you teach me to jive?’ So I taught her and from then on, we became firm friends. Any events we had on the go, she would come with a raffle prize."

Audrey, a 72-year-old grandmother, hasn’t let her recent hip replacement put her off teaching and still volunteers at Whale Hill Community Centre in Middlesbrough. She’s been nominated by granddaughter Lyndsey Peters.

Lyndsey says: "She even applied for grant funding for her class so each child had dance shoes and dresses to go through their medals. Recognising the high unemployment in the area, she realised the cost of such items but wanted all the children to look the same, regardless, and this made a massive difference to their confidence."

RUNNING coach Colin Haggie is always happy to go that extra mile for his athletes.

The Gosforth Harriers coach has been in the club since the 1950s when he was a young runner himself. Now, in spite of health problems, Colin, from Seghill, Northumberland, helps today’s youngsters, training them up to four times a week.

His nominator, Pauline Lundgren, whose 15-year-old twins train with Colin, says: "He deserves recognition for the amount of time and effort he devotes to these young people."