BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award^[1] is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given "for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity", and the winner is selected by BBC Sport.^[2] The award is named after the BBC sports presenter Helen Rollason, who died in August 1999 at the age of 43 after suffering from cancer for two years.^[3][4] Helen Rollason was the first female presenter of Grandstand. After being diagnosed with cancer, she helped raise over £5 million to set up a cancer wing at the North Middlesex Hospital, where she received most of her treatment.^[5]

The inaugural recipient of the award was horse trainer Jenny Pitman, in 1999. Since then, ten of the eleven winners have been British; the exception is South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who won the award in 2007. Three recipients have not played a sport professionally: Jane Tomlinson, who won in 2002, Kirsty Howard, who received the award in 2004, and Phil Packer, winner in 2009. Michael Watson, who won the award in 2003, had a career in boxing but was paralysed and almost killed in a title bout with Chris Eubank. He won the award for completing the London Marathon, an accomplishment that took him six days.^[6] Former footballer Geoff Thomas won the award in 2005; he raised money by cycling the 2,200 miles of the 2005 Tour de France course in the same number of days as the professionals completed it.^[7] In 2006, the award was given posthumously to Paul Hunter, who died from dozens of malignant neuroendocrine tumours – his widow Lindsay accepted the award on his behalf.^[8] The most recent award was presented in 2011 to the 1981 Grand National-winning jockey Bob Champion.

By year

By nationality

This table lists the total number of awards won by recipients of each nationality based on the principle of jus soli.

By sport

This table lists the total number of awards won by recipients' sporting profession.

Notes

• ^{n 1} Jane Tomlinson was an amateur athlete who competed in marathons, and triathlons – these represent sporting disciplines of athletics, swimming, and cycling.
• ^{n 2} Kirsty Howard was the mascot accompanying David Beckham for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Greece, and later became the final carrier in the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.^[32]
• ^{n 3} Major Phil Packer raised money by rowing across the English Channel, completing the London Marathon and climbing.^[29]
• ^{n 4} The fractions refer to Alastair Hignell, who played cricket professionally and rugby union at the top level .

References