London 2012 blog

Each year, as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, the BBC runs a competition to find a Sports Unsung Hero. It gave me great pleasure to be an ambassador for the Unsung Hero award this year. When I was asked who my own personal Unsung Hero is, I replied my father - he navigated me through the early years and nurtured my teenage talent from junior domestic successes through to international competition and ultimately, two Olympic Games and world records. 

Margaret Simons, the founder of Bardwell Football Club in Bicester, Oxfordshire, was picked from 15 regional winners as the BBC Sport Unsung Hero at the awards last night:

Having founded the club in 1964 she bought the kits, balls, medical kits and refreshments from her own money. She was chair, secretary, treasurer, manager and coach to the 20 children in her first year.

An estimated 3,000 children between the ages of seven and 16 have represented the club, which now has teams in four different leagues.

Everyone was hugely impressed by her long-standing commitment. She is an inspiration to us all - even at the age of 85 she continues to give several hours of support each week.