Last night, the Crowne Plaza hotel played host to the Active Newcastle This Girl Can Awards celebrating women in sport across the region.  You’ve seen the campaign on TV and on billboards and the success of #ThisGirlCan at narrowing the gender gap in sport has been huge.  I’m super proud to say that I’m a part of that campaign, and will continue to be because the values fit so well with my own.

As you know, I was nominated in the Ambassador of the Year category and of all of the Ambassadors across the Newcastle region, I made it to the final three based purely on your nominations.  For that I simply can’t thank you enough Voyeurs, you’re just the best and I appreciate  every single vote and nomination that you took the time to make.  In fact, the messages of support I’ve had from you all have actually made me quite emotional which has done nothing for my reputation of being a stone cold hearted, emotionless lab, who cries on the inside, like a winner.

Anyway, back to the Awards ceremony…..

The whole affair was hosted by Lady Anna Foster who spoke passionately about the national initiative and why maintaining the momentum is so important going forward.  I turned up fashionably late wearing a ballgown slashed at the waist to make a full skirt, with a Nike gym top, Balmain belt and KG heels showcasing a roller derby kiss on my left ankle and shin – I really embraced the whole theme of women in sport for this one.  Special thanks to the team at Newcastle Hair and Beauty Clinic for rescuing my ravaged feet and sorting me out with a gorgeous gel pedicure!

Sadly, neither me nor my Newcastle Roller Girls teamies won in our categories.  The Ambassador of the Year Award was shortlisted by public vote and then voted for by the people in the room that night, it was scooped by a fabulous lady by the name of Donna Dyball who has been a huge asset at her local running club.

The awards up for grabs and their respective winners:

Club Session of the Year: Welbeck Warriors

FDA Coach of the Year: Rachel Dickens (Our very own amazing roller girl Zoe Hayes was up for this award but sadly didn’t win this year)

Young Ambassador of the Year: Stacey Gardiner

Commitment to This Girl Can & Ambassador of the Year: Donna Dyball

If you’re not familiar with the #ThisGirlCan initiative then it’s time you educated yourself and got on board, it’s a growing movement with proven national success and we need amazing women and girls to get behind it.  If you’re a Girl Who Can then I applaud you, if you’re a Girl Who Wants To, then join the campaign, take a class, get out and walk or run, if you fancy something really different then take a look at our roller derby league Newcastle Roller Girls.  You’re never far away from another Girl Who Can and we’re all about building women and girls up, not tearing them down, look around you and you’ll see, #NewcastleGirlsCan and we’re actually a really great bunch.

Huge congrats to Donna Dyball for winning Ambassador of the Year, Donna, that trophy will be aces topped with vanilla ice cream and for me, there’s always 2017…..

Pixie x