31-Dec-2010:
Sports Personality of the Year 2010: Karen Meakins
Since Karen was heading
back to warmer climes today,
we had to have a little chat
before she left, didn't we ...
For
everyone who knows anything about squash, Nick Matthew was a
surprising omission from the BBC's shortlist of ten athletes
for the UK's Sports Personality of the Year award, but it's
nice to know that in some parts of the world squash enjoys a
higher profile.
Back in the UK for Christmas, Karen Meakins found out
just yesterday that she had been named Sports Personality
of the Year in Barbados.
Chairman of the Barbados National Sports Council’s awards
committee, Andrew Sealy, told reporters that Meakins
was a unanimous choice for the Sports Personality of the
Year, based on her consistent results throughout 2010.
Sealy noted that the other front-runners for the award were
Barbados and West Indies cricketer Deandra Dottin, and
internationally renowned swimmer, Bradley Ally.
"She was very consistent throughout the year, winning
wherever she went, and to think, she did most of this alone,
with no official or even a coach. Both Deandra and Bradley
also had very good performances, but the committee felt
Meakins was the best choice," Sealy added.
How did you come to be based in Barbados ?
My best friend was from Barbados, so I've been going there
on holiday since I was 13, then ten years ago a coaching job
came up and I was gone like a shot!
My family are from Bedfordshire, I normally come back each
year over Christmas. I've been here for two weeks this time,
my mum said I should stay longer, but with all the snow and
freezing cold I'll be glad to get back to Barbados tonight!
Take us through your
year ... In
April I played in the Cayman Islands Open, then in
May I won my tenth straight Barbados Nationals title,
followed up by an eleventh win in the Barbados Open
the next month.
After that it was the Central American and Caribbean
Games in Colombia where I won silver in the individuals,
Barbados's first ever medal, and we got a bronze in the
women's team event.
Then in the Caribbean championships in St Vincent I
finally managed to win the individual title for the first
time, and it was just fantastic as we went on to take the
women's team and overall title as well.
Finally it was the World Masters in Cologne. It was
strange going from being one of the oldest players in most
competitions to one of the youngest, but I managed to get to
the O35 final against local favourite Sabine Schoene.
It was only at the last minute that I found out we were
playing on the all-glass court, which I hadn't had a hit on
while Sabine had played all her matches on there, but it was
a great experience and to come away with a silver medal was
just amazing.
When did you find out about the
award ?
Just yesterday, Craig Archer (Caribbean Squash Association
President) texted me, I was just gobsmacked! The Olympic
Association named me Female Athlete of the year a few weeks
ago which was pretty amazing, but this was just
unbelievable.
There's going to be awards ceremony at the end of January,
I'm really looking forward to that ...
Congratulations Karen on a fantastic year, safe
journey home and here's hoping 2011 will be just as good for
you ...
