Thame’s sporting heroes

LAST night was a proud one for sport in Thame, and particularly for those clubs represented at the 2015 Oxfordshire Sports Awards, held at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, organised by Oxfordshire Sport and Physical Activity.

Representatives of Thame Town Cricket Club proudly display their nominees certificate

Thame Town Cricket Club narrowly missed winning Club of the Year, though were in the top three clubs nominated. The award, which recognises ‘the exemplary commitment of the club to their members, to their local communities and to their sport’, finally went to Banbury & District Canoe Club.

Representatives of the Oxford School of Gymnastics with their award

The Oxford School of Gymnastics, which is based at Lord Williams’s School, Thame, under the leadership of Emma Parr, were luckier, winning the coveted Sports Team of the Year award, beating Oxford City Lions Men’s Futsal Team and Oxford University Company of Archers, Women’s Team.

Speaking to BBC Oxford’s Jerome Sale after receiving their award, the young gymnasts spoke of how the whole team is a family, each depending on the other to perform well. The team had come back from a spate of injuries to a level where they were able to trial for the GB team and had recently returned from Italy with a Gold medal.

Another local boy, Jack Brooks, who hails from Tiddington and now plays cricket for Yorkshire, was awarded Oxfordshire Sportsman of the Year 2015.

Oxfordshire Sportsman of the Year, Jack Brooks (Image courtesy of @bbcoxfordsport