Mary Joy Langdon

Mary-Joy Langdon set up the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in 1989 which has enabled horse riding to reach out to thousands of children and young people. The disabled, vulnerable and young, find the centre a safe haven and a place where they can have fun, develop friendships and discover their own true potential. It's a centre that brings people together and Mary-Joy inspires everyone and is in turn inspired by those around her, many of whom return as adults to the centre to become volunteers. Mary-Joy was Britain's first female firefighter and is willing today to abseil down buildings and scale the four peaks to raise funds to keep the centre going. She, just like the Olympics which embodies courage and championing is doing her best for the greater good and therefore thoroughly deserves this honour.