Roberta Parkinson

Roberta has been a member of HM Forces for the last 28 years. During this time she has been an inspiration to many young people through her work as a professional soldier and keen sportswoman. She has represented her Regiment in diverse sporting areas including, hockey, squash, and most recently equestrian events in which she overcame her fear of big fences to win a major military competition. Roberta currently dedicates her weekends to umpire for Dungannon Ladies Hockey Club, a team she played for as a teenager and throughout her adult life. For the last five years she has been a member of a welfare team dedicated to looking after the needs of soldiers and their families who have been killed or injured whilst on duty. This is a very difficult job which this exceptional lady takes in her stride with her famous smile and easy going attitude to life. In addition to this demanding role, Roberta is also a volunteer bereavement counsellor for CRUSE. She took on this role after coming to terms with losing both her parents to illness. Roberta simply put, cannot sit still for 5 minutes. An amazing lady she is a shining light on a dark day, a remarkable sportswoman and a credit to our country. I believe that it would be a fitting tribute if Roberta was awarded this unique opportunity to take part in this spectacular event. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Regards James.