18 year old athlete Ciara Mageean from Portaferry has outrun the competition to become the first winner of the Dale Farm ‘2012 Dreams’ Sports Award, an Olympic-sized £5,000 bursary towards her sporting development. The long distance runner was presented with the award by Olympic legend Dame Kelly Holmes in a ceremony in Belfast.

One of Ireland’s top young athletes, Ciara was chosen for the accolade by an expert sporting panel from the Mary Peters Trust and leading dairy business Dale Farm, who together launched the ‘2012 Dreams’ Award this year to support home-grown talent. Specifically open to athletes aiming for selection in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the initiative drew entries from across Northern Ireland in a wide range of sporting disciplines.

The current 800m Irish and 1500m European Youth Champion, Ciara has had an explosive year - setting records at numerous competitions and claiming silver at the World Youth Olympics. Her 2010/2011 schedule will see her defend these titles as well as compete at international level at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, World Cross Country Championships and the European Indoor Championships – all building up to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

“I’m completely overwhelmed to have won the Dale Farm ‘2012 Dreams’ Sports Award and am so grateful for the support that it will bring me,” said Ciara. “To have been presented with the award by my idol Kelly Holmes was an absolute ‘dream come true’ as she has always been a real inspiration to me.”

“We wanted to find a young sporting star that embodied the spirit of the Dale Farm ‘2012 Dreams’ Sports Award – someone with the talent, determination and ambition to compete at the very top of their game,” said Andrew Nethercott, Dale Farm’s commercial director. “Ciara stood out in the judging as a shining example of that spirit – we hope that coupled with her boundless passion and skill, our support can help her realise her Olympic goal. We’re looking forward to watching Ciara progress in the build up to 2012 and wish her every success throughout her journey.”

Dame Mary Peters DBE, President of the Mary Peters Trust further congratulated Ciara, “I am delighted for the Trust to once again be working in partnership with a local company such as Dale Farm in supporting such a bright star as Ciara. Recognising and nurturing young talent is so important in the sporting arena, particularly in the run up to the Olympics. I am positive that with this support Ciara will achieve her 2012 dream and make Northern Ireland proud.”

 

Athletics - Kerry Harty £500, Eoghan Totten £300

Basketball - Rebecca Barker £300

Bowling - Cliodhna Boyce £400, Ashleigh Rainey £400

Hockey - Gayle Adams £250, Chloe Brown £250, Lucy Camlin £250, Amy Cooke £250, Gemma Frazer £250, Lucy McKee £250, Katie McQuillan £250, Katie Morris £250, Katie Mullan £250

Rowing - Amy Duncan £500, Jonathan Mitchell £500, Matthew Monteith £500, Holly Nixon £500

Sailing - James Espey £500, Lauren Martel £500, Sophie Murphy £500, Ross Vaughan £500

Table Tennis - Laura Finn £300, Keith Knox £400, Amanda Mogey £750, Claire Nelson £400, Jonathan Porter £300

Triathlon - Russell White £300, Kerry Spearing £300

Wrestling - Cameron Ashcroft £300, Justin Haughey £300, Stewart Phillips £300, Andrew Pursell £300  

Twelve-year-old golfer Olivia Mehaffey from Craigavon is the latest – and the youngest – winner in the Emo Sports Awards.