It is with sadness that we pay tribute to Sharon Edwards and friend and colleagues to Disability Sport Wales, who’s funeral it is today.
Sharon Edwards (Geer in later life) joined the Welsh Les Autres Sports Association in 1988 and become involved with DSW during it’s formative years, joining the delivery team in 2001 in Cardiff working with national development officers to start what is now the incredibly successful Community programme. Working alongside the likes of Jane Coia and Anthony Hughes, Sharon attended the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games supporting Welsh athletes.
As a coach, Sharon worked with young people with a mixed range of impairments in Athletics, basing herself in both Welshpool and Chirk, and later to attend the CP world Championships in Nottingham with a group of 7 CP Athletes from Wales.
She retired from DSW in 2006 due to ill-health but always remained in-touch with many of the Welsh Athletes whose careers she was both involved and interested in. Over years she was an active supporter of the DSWCommunity and Performance programmes and celebrated the successes of many of our senior athletes, including Aled Sion Davies, Nathan Stephens, Stephen Herbert and Lloyd Upstell.
Anthony Hughes, Performance Manager for DSW said “…many of our senior athletes will remember Sharon and her unique approach to coaching and engaging people, she was a forward thinker and problem solver, and her support and input will be greatly missed”.
Fiona Reid, CEO for DSW added “without the support of committed volunteers like Sharon the work that DSW would be in a very different place, she has contributed to a legacy of strong community delivery and great Welsh performers. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones at this time”.
