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Junior Team of the Year – Team Phoenix Peter Wade Special Recognition Award went to West Ham Foundation Senior Team of BY RUSSELL COTMAN MERCY Brown may only be 18 years old, but she already has an impressive sporting CV. The weightlifter has represented England and broken multiple records during her rapid rise from promising youngster to become a candidate for the 2016 Rio Olympics. And now Mercy, from Poplar, has another honour to add to her growing collection after being named Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year 2014 at a ceremony at East Wintergarden last Thursday. Mercy, who fits her training around being a full-time student at Loughbrough University, was picked from a strong field in recognition of her stellar achievements last year. In the summer she represented England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and only narrowly missed out on a bronze medal. In addition to that, she took third place in the clean and jerk and totals at the European Youth Championships, as well as finishing a hugely creditable 19th at the Senior World Championships, against much older and more experienced competitors. Weight to go, M There she broke three British records in snatch, clean and jerk and overall, in both under-20s, under-23 and senior categories for 75kg and +75kg of weight. Remarkably, she is now the holder of no less than 30 national records and is on the UK Sport World Class Potential programme. Canary Wharf Group’s head of community affairs Zakir Khan said: “Well done to Mercy Brown, our Sports Personality of the Year 2014. “We have known Mercy for a number of years and it’s wonderful to have been able to chart her development into a professional athlete with promising prospects for the 2016 Olympics.” Other winners on the night included the Bangladesh Football Association (BFA), which picked up the Group Achievement Award. The BFA, based in Canon Street, Whitechapel, delivers 11 different sports projects to more than 3,000 people, as well as running FA coaching courses. Senior Team of the Year went to the London Disability Swimming Club who train at Mile End Leisure Centre and the Aquatic Centre in Queen Elizabeth Park. Three swimmers from the club were selected to compete in the 2014 European Championships in Eindhoven. Two of them went on to win multiple gold medals. Junior Team of the Year was won by synchronised ice skaters Team Phoenix. The West Ham United Foundation, which has been running a community sports programme for 25 years, won the Peter Wade Special Recognition Award. Mr Wade, who died in 2011, instigated what is now the Canary Wharf Community Outreach Programme. The award recognises other local groups who make a difference in the East End. Mr Kha n added: “Congratulations to all the fantastic nominees and winners. “These awards a i m t o g ive well-deserved recognition to the achievements of local people in their chosen sports.” Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year Mercy Brown 18 NEWS FROM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 9 – 15 FEBRUARY 2015


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