A volunteer has been given an award for her hard work helping out at this year’s London Youth Games.
Izzy Ryan, of Ealing , collected the Rick Grice Spirit of the Games Award at the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games Hall of Fame and Annual Awards ceremony, at Madame Tussauds, on Thursday, September 11.
The annual event was a tribute to the coaches, volunteers, officials and participants who made the 2014 Games so successful and the Rick Grice Spirt of the Games Award goes to the individual or group deemed to best capture the positive spirit of the games.
Ms Ryan, a former student at Ellen Wilkinson school for girls in Queens Drive , West Acton, was given her award by England rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.
The 20-year-old was a team leader for the volunteer workforce throughout the summer for the London Youth Games. She also officiated at basketball, cricket and ParaGames swimming and helped with Ealing’s own London Youth Games celebration evening.
She said: “I was quite shocked, I didn’t realise I was nominated for it, I feel so privileged to have it. It’s an amazing award and I’m so grateful.
“I first started volunteering through university. I got an email with all these different volunteering opportunities. I tried one of them out and ever since I’ve been stuck on it. It’s the people that make you come back and I’ve loved all of my time here.
“There’s so many different training opportunities, I’ve got my level one refereeing for basketball, regional boccia officiating, timekeeping for swimming, and in athletics my level two track and field officials award. I also have my level one volunteering award for sports leaders.
“I would never have got that if I hadn’t been with London Youth Games.”
