Couldn't have gone to a nicer person
Martyn Ashton has been awarded the Disability Sports Award a this year’s Pride of Sport awards.
Last night saw the Daily Mirror Pride of Sport awards ceremony take place at Grosvenor House in London, where Martyn Ashton was awarded the Disability Sports Award for his amazing return to bike riding after a life-changing accident in 2013.
As most of you will now, the trials and stunt-riding legend that is Martyn Ashton was paralysed from the waist down after an accident in 2013. He spent five months in hospital. He was told he’d never ride a bike again.
As the Daily Mirror say in their profile of Ashton, “Martyn has never been one to take his diagnosis lying down”.
First of all Ashton learned how to walk again.
And then, as you will also no doubt remember, Ashton released a video earlier this year (July to be exact) which showed him back on a bike and having a blast riding down one of the descent of Antur Stiniog bike park in North Wales.
The idea behind the Pride of Sport award is to “celebrate and recognise the unsung heroes of sport.” As well as professional sportspeople like Ashton, the Pride of Sport awards are also about encouraging people to be more active on a regular basis.
To have a mountain biker win such a high-profile award is fantastic and is another reason to give kudos to Martyn Ashton for his amazing year.
In a further boost for two wheels, Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Stoney won the Inspirational Performance of the Year award for her victory in the C5 3000m final in the Rio Olympics which was her 12th(!) Paralympic gold.