Aberdeen FC Women co-manager Emma Hunter said her side are an ‘inspiration’ after they landed Team Performance of the Year at Aberdeen’s Sports Awards.
The Evening Express-organised awards, supported by Samsung Electronics, took place at P&J Live on Tuesday evening.
Hunter has been in charge of the team since Aberdeen Ladies were absorbed by the Granite City’s leading men’s football club in 2019, following a disappointing period which saw Aberdeen’s top women’s side relegated to the third, regionalised tier of the Scottish game.
During the nomination period, Aberdeen Women secured their second consecutive league championship and promotion, following up 2019’s SWFL Division One – North crown with the Scottish Women’s Premier League 2 title for season 2020-21.
This achievement meant the Dons secured their return to SWPL 1 – the top level of domestic women’s football in the country – where they have been competing against fully professional sides, like Glasgow City, this term.
After winning the Team award, also sponsored by Samsung, Hunter said: “The team award is really special. I know how hard the women have worked over the last two-and-a-half years.
“They’ve really been an inspiration.
“They give up so much time and effort to be the best they can be in a sport where they’re pushing the boundaries all the time.
“It’s a really proud moment for me to see the team get this award because they really deserve it.
“Although there’s only three of the players here to accept it, it’s for the whole team and we can’t wait to go back and show the rest of the team.”
As well as their rapid rise back to the top as a collective, which has seen the team cheered on by growing crowds, several individual talents shone for Aberdeen Women during the nomination period.
Striker Bayley Hutchison, 18 – a mainstay of the Scotland Under-19s squad – was the top goalscorer in SWPL 2 last season and was named the division’s player of the year.
Meanwhile, other young players, like Eilidh Shore, have also earned plaudits.
On how Aberdeen Women’s current cohort build on their journey so far, Hunter said: “We know we’ve had a lot of success over the last couple of years and we’re now at the top level.
“Now it’s about trying to push the boundary even further and compete in the top side of that league, because that’s where Aberdeen want to be.
“We’ve got players in this group that are maybe going to be hanging up the boots soon, so they’ve played a huge part in how far we’ve come.
“But we’re now looking at some of the young players to push them on and really thrive in Aberdeen and get us up to that level we need to be at to compete against the top clubs in Scotland.”
Grampian Girls United Under-13s were highly commended by judges in the Team Performance of the Year category, with the descriptions of their team spirit in the nomination impressing the panel of judges, as well as strong performances on the pitch which meant an early step up to 11-a-sides.
Inspiration Award
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This year’s Aberdeen’s Sports Awards Inspiration prize winner is the late Marie Dobson.
A long-time member of the women’s team at Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club and 400m hurdles specialist who won medals at national level, Marie was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016 – and would go on to inspire many with her courage, strength and bravery.
Aged just 34, Marie is said to have taken the news of her initial breast cancer diagnosis ‘on the chin’ and ‘looked at it as the start of another race’.
A gruelling year of treatment followed – which required a double mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy, a full lymph nodes clearance operation and 21 rounds of radiotherapy. Marie was then declared cancer-free.
However, in June 2019, she was given the news the cancer has spread to her bones and was terminal.
Despite being given the devastating news she had five years to live, Marie continued her fight, ‘left no stone unturned and went for treatment after treatment. Marie was determined and was not going to give up’.
She turned her passion for running into organising Run4Marie fundraising events.
And, through all of this, Marie, a ‘terrific motivator’ and ‘the most joyful of characters’, continued to be the ‘loudest voice of encouragement, at any event’ for her Aberdeen AAC team-mates, ‘her love and passion for athletics oozing from every pore’.
Standing by the side of the track, cheerleader Marie made sure every Aberdeen AAC runner could hear her shouts ‘ringing in their ears all the way to the finish line’.
As a friend described Marie in the nomination form: “There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe Marie.
“I have known her for many years and, while she has shown signs of vulnerability over the last five years, she doesn’t let it get her down for long.
“Marie has always been the life of any party. Her zest for life is contagious and her joy and passion for running has been passed on to so many people over the years.
“Marie’s child-like qualities are infectious and everyone who meets her can’t help but be motivated to get up on their feet and exercise.”
Marie Dobson passed away in December.
Marie’s family – mum Lorraine, sister Emma, partner Neil and best friend Lisa – accepted the Inspiration Award, and said: “Marie would have been absolutely buzzing.
“She would have absolutely been up on the stage celebrating.
“She can’t be here to accept the award, but I’m sure she is right here with us.
“Marie was and always will be a huge inspiration to so many people on and off the track.”
Judges’ Choice Award
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Debbie Greig has been awarded with the Judges’ Choice at Aberdeen’s Sports Awards 2022 after combining motherhood with continued elite athletic achievement.
Mum-of-two Debbie, 33, returned to competitive triathlon just 12 weeks after giving birth to her second son, Lennox, in June 2021 – with strong performances in both the Scottish standard race and an Outlaw X event south of the border.
At the latter ‘half-ironman’ race, which is a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21.1km run, Debbie was breastfeeding little Lennox before and after – while other competitors were warming up and cooling down, – yet finished third.
Metro Aberdeen member Debbie even got to carry her first son, Logan, who was born in July 2019, across the finish line.
Her performances are all the more impressive considering Debbie’s triathlon training has been limited for much of the last three years. Covid restrictions and pelvic girdle pain during both pregnancies meant Debbie, who has previously competed in the World Ironman Championships, was limited to static cycling in her garage for months at a time in an effort to keep up her fitness.
The judges were keen to recognise Debbie’s efforts, along with husband Kyle, to stay involved in top-level sport for both herself and her children, despite the logistical challenges of training and competing with a young family in tow.
Explaining what she hopes people around her, including her sons, will get out of watching her continue to take part in triathlon, Debbie said: “Life doesn’t stop after kids and I want to inspire other mums and families out there and encourage them to get their children watching them do sports – they look up to us, so if we do it, they’ll do it!”
Community/Participation Coach of the Year
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Rachel Watson’s video efforts to keep kids active amid Covid restrictions have seen her named Community Coach of the Year at Aberdeen’s Sports Awards.
Student Rachel runs five sessions a week in the community for Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club, including for kids and participants with disabilities, as well as school holiday camps.
The variety of Rachel’s coaching work every week, much of which is voluntary, has seen her mentor participants aged from two all the way up to 50.
During the pandemic, her sessions could not go ahead, however, Rachel took to YouTube to continue to deliver engaging sessions for her youngest athletes.
Explaining her thinking, Rachel, who filmed and edited the videos – which also feature her mum Ruth, said: “I thought it was a shame some of them wouldn’t be able to continue, and it would be quite important to keep their training going as I know some of them struggle to get out of the house otherwise. Some of them don’t have other hobbies.
“Athletics is just it for them and then I saw Joe Wicks doing all these videos, and was like: ‘It can be done, and it can be done in this way. So, I’ll have a go at that.’”
The judges were also impressed by Rachel’s drive to take on increasing coaching commitments alongside her postgraduate qualification in primary teaching.
She recently learned how to coach frame running – an athletics event for children and adults with disabilities.
This year’s Aberdeen’s Sports Awards sponsors –
