It was an evening of celebration at the South Ayrshire Sports Awards recently. The annual event takes place to recognise sporting achievement and reward the often unsung heroes who give up so much of their time for the love of sport.
The awards are a chance for sportsmen and women to shine but they also highlight the invaluable contribution of parents and carers, coaches and officials who all work hard to underpin sporting success across South Ayrshire.
A total of 12 awards were presented with categories incorporated from the South Ayrshire Sports Council and Sportscotland's South Ayrshire Coaching, Officiating & Volunteering program.
This year's winners were:
Sports Personality of the Year (16+) David Mexon – Volleyball
Junior Sports Personality (U16) Cerys McCrindle - SAST Para Squad
Sports Team of the Year South Ayrshire Table tennis Club
Junior Sports Team Ayr Storm (U14) boys
Coach of the Year (25+) Amanda Nicol – AUFA Women & Girls Club
Young Coach of the Year (U25) Cameron McIntyre - Prestwick Sailing Club
Young Achiever of the Year Laura Logan – SAST Para Squad
Provost's Trophy – Club of the Year Ayr Curling Club
Local Service to Sport - Lifetime Achievement Chris Carlyle – SASC
Sports Volunteer of the Year (25+) Chris Morrison –Ayr Storm Basketball Club
Young Volunteer of the Year (U25) Eilidh McDonald – Marr College – handball
Performance Development Coach of the Year Gillian Otterson – Kyle Figure Skating Club / Suzanne Otterson – Kyle Figure Skating Club (Joint Winners)
Former Olympic swimmer Robbie Renwick was on hand to present some of the awards.
As a world champion, Robbie knows a thing or two about what it takes to compete at the top level and he passed on some invaluable advice.
Robbie commented: "It was great to see so many young athletes recognised for their achievements over the last year. All the organisers, coaches and volunteers have been sensational and I hope that by sharing my experiences I can inspire even more people to be the best they can be."
Councillor Brian McGinley, Economy and Culture Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: "These awards are a fantastic way to recognise not only sporting talent but the amount of work that takes place to run and support our clubs.
"Everyone from athletes, coaches, officials to the volunteers is an inspiration. Not everyone can make it to the top but the health benefits of sport are a great incentive for even more of us to take part.
"I'd like to congratulate all the winners and everyone involved in sport across South Ayrshire, without their efforts we would not be able celebrate our sporting success."