A Sheffield woman has been honoured for her tireless work at the City of Sheffield Diving Club for 25 years.
Nikki Smith, 37, was awarded the 2021 Women of Sheffield Jessica Ennis-Hill Award for Sport by The Star last Thursday.
Ms Smith pictured with her award in The Star
Ms Smith, who has been involved with the club at Ponds Forge since she was 10, said the award came as a huge surprise.
She said: “I didn’t know exactly what I’d won until last Thursday when I was given the award. I didn’t even know I had been nominated or was a finalist until I actually went to meet The Star.
“There’s no bigger honour, Jessica Ennis-Hill is Sheffield born-and-bred, and a huge role model for people across the city. It’s just fantastic.”
As well as coaching at the club, Ms Smith also sits on the national and county diving committees and officiated at the London 2012 Olympics.
She says she is grateful for the opportunities that the sport has given her in and out of the pool.
Ms Smith said: “It’s quite a small, unique diving community, everybody knows everybody because there are not that many clubs.
“It’s also given me my family; I met my other half through diving and we have two children. It’s not just my job, it’s my whole life. (I know) all my friends and family through diving in Sheffield.”
The City of Sheffield Diving Club has a proud history of having an Olympian at every Olympic Games since 1992.
Ms Smith says she is proud to be a part of the club which offers opportunities to people of all ages and abilities to try the sport.
She said: “[Before lockdown] we ran two free diving lessons every single week for children across Sheffield and we have been doing so for the last couple of years.
“We really work to try and make the sport as accessible as possible for as many people as possible. There’s no better feeling than seeing a kid leave that poolside proud of doing something.”
Visit The City of Sheffield Diving Club website to find out more.