Today is the last day to nominate a sporting star or local hero for the BT Action Woman Awards. Give them the support they deserve and raise a flag for sportswomen everywhere!
The BT Action Woman of the Year Award has been set up to help encourage women’s sport, and celebrate the amazing achievements of female athletes.
We’ve put together a selection of nominations that we’ve received from our readers – who do you think should be on the list? It’s easy to make a nomination, you just need to write under 500 words on why your nominee is deserving and tweet about it! You also have the chance to win a prize for yourself.
Nominate a Sportswoman for the BT Action Woman Awards: How to Nominate.
1. Melissa Lowther, Road Cyclist
Nominated by: Graham H
“I would like to nominate Melissa Lowther of team Matrix Fitness Vulpine to be considered for the BT Action Woman of the Year Award. Mel rode the Women’s Tour this year whilst still just 17 years old. She was not on the original team listing and only came in at short notice so was unprepared at a time when she was concentrating on exams. I understand that she had not previously ridden a race that required a feed station let alone competed in a multi stage race against the best riders and teams in the world. Despite this she was not over-awed and finished the race with 35th place on stage 2 as her best finish. Mel is also part of the Olympic Development Programme and rode as a Tour de France Cadets-Junior on stage 1 this year. Every time I have watched Mel race she is aggressive and looks for a breakaway. She won the recent Pontefract Grand Prix and rode well at Tickhill. Above all, Mel is an inspiration for young riders, showing what can be achieved with some dedication and grit.”
2. Jo Pavey, Long Distance Runner
Nominated by: Gayle W
“All that goes through my head is it has to be Jo Pavey, I surprised myself as a cyclist to nominate a runner, but to cope with poor funding, her years of running and the biggest challenge having a baby and having to completely change her training to fit in life, it’s quite an achievement what she produced at the Commonwealth and Euro’s. She is truly an inspiration to other sports women about perseverance and determination.”
3. Juliana Furtado, Mountain Biker
Nominated by: Anouk P
“I would like to nominate Juliana Furtado as the BT Action Woman of the Year. Juliana is one of the most legendary mountain bikers ever with 2 World Championship wins, 3 overall World Cup titles, 5 national titles and she still holds the record for most World Cup wins. Juli was the first person to give women cyclists the attention they deserve, launching the original women’s specific mtn bike in 1999. In the past 18 months Juli launched an entire line of women’s specific mountain bikes – Juliana Bicycles – with the hopes of bringing more women into the sport of mountain biking. As an athlete and a visionary, she’s an inspiration to all women.”
You can read more about Juliana Furtado in our interview.
Who would you nominate? Let us know! All the details on how to send your nomination in are here: How to Nominate.
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