Guidance Notes for Nominations
Success in the Awards depends on two factors:
- The quality of sporting achievements, coaching or volunteering demonstrated by the nominees, and
- The quality of the nomination submission itself.
- The nomination process is straightforward but to do justice to the person you’re nominating, please follow this advice:
- The judging panel can only consider information on the Nomination Form / Nomination Video / Nomination Audio file so please DO NOT include any attachments.
- Should your application be shortlisted, the Nominator may be required to provide further detail to the nomination at the award panel which will take place at a later date.
Please note that certain categories are restricted to specific roles or standards of involvement. These are indicated in the criteria.
Where appropriate National Governing Body endorsement should be sought prior to submission.
Category information:
Emerging Athlete of the Year Award
This award recognises the outstanding impact that an emerging athlete has made during a particular year, season, or date range as advertised.
Athletes may be eligible for Paralympic, World, Deaflympic, Intellectual Impairment (Special Olympic and/or Virtus), European and Commonwealth events.
This category is restricted to athletes who have made a break-through in the advertised date range which may include achieving selection to a Welsh or UK National Governing Body squad or team.
The winner of this award will also get the Gareth John[1] Bursary (£1,000 contribution to training or competition costs).
What we’re looking for:
- Evidence of achievements between the advertised date range
- Evidence to demonstrate a potential to achieve future international honours at Commonwealth, European or World level
- Dedication and commitment to their sport
- Evidence from their Welsh/UK National Governing Body of their potential within their sport/s.
Process for selection from total nominees:
- Internal Panel will shortlist to six nominees
- Six nominees will be referred for consideration to the DSW Awards Panel, who will select a category winner and two other finalists
[1] Gareth John sadly passed away in 2019. He was a long-term supporter and advocate for disability and inclusive sport in Wales, making change through his tireless work, incredibly personable style, consistent perseverance. He was always a champion for young, developing athletes. This bursary is made in his memory, and to ensure that the work he did for everyone connected to Disability Sport Wales and the wider sporting landscape continues to be celebrated.
Category information:
Athlete of the Year Award
This award recognises an athletes outstanding achievements and commitment to their sport and their pathway during a particular year, season or date range as advertised.
This category is restricted to athletes who have competed at a Paralympic, World, Deaflympic, Special Olympic, INAS, European or Commonwealth Games during the advertised date range.
What we’re looking for:
- Evidence of achievements between the advertised date range.
- Medal success at International level
- Commitment to their sport outside of their medal success
- Evidence from their Welsh/UK National Governing Body of their performance within their sport/s.
Process for selection from total nominees:
- Internal Panel will shortlist to six nominees
- Six nominees will be referred for consideration to the DSW Awards Panel, who will select a category winner and two other finalists
Category information:
Jim Munkley Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is for an individual who has devoted their time to developing or contributing to disability sport in Wales at either a national level or within a community setting over several years.
What we’re looking for:
- A lifetime’s dedication to improving disability sport in any sporting situation – from coaching, officiating, administration to washing the kit, driving the team bus, preparing refreshments or even organising and maintaining the grounds.
- They have been instrumental in recruiting other people to help in sport to enable the club or sporting organisation to grow.
- They have been involved in innovative practice which has made a difference to participation, engagement, performance, coaching, leadership or volunteering in disability sport
- They have established programmes or legacies which have enabled the sports, organisations, or club’s work to be continued, grow and influence, include and inspire.
- There is clear evidence of the wider impact the contribution has on the participants/performers they influenced (such as personal development, positive health and wellbeing, educational attainment, access to opportunity, etc)
Nominations should be for volunteers whose work had been most influential in Wales or on Welsh disabled people and their families. There should be demonstrable and significant successful achievements over several years
