AGM and Disability Sports Person Award

One of the Club’s premier events of the year took place this week with the presentation of the Rotary Club of Kilrymont St Andrews quaich to the Rotary Disabled Athlete of the year nominated by Disability Sport Fife.

The trophy and hearty congratulations went to 20-year-old Sam Fernando from Fife Athletic Club.

Since 2005 the club has presented the quaich and a bursary to some of Fife’s outstanding Para athletes. The first recipient was David Cowieson from Cupar Bowmen and more recently the Quaich has been presented to world champion Para bowlers Martin Hunter and Michael Simpson, GB Paralympian marathon runner Derek Rae from Fife AC, GB archer Brad Stewart from Ladybank, GB Para trap shooter Mike Drever from Leven and Ollie Carter from Cupar who is off to the Netherlands this weekend for an international swim meet. 

Sam, from Gateside, had a superb 2018 season with his two medals at the INAS European Championships in Paris in July being the highlights. In his first competition as a member of the Great Britain team, Sam took the bronze medal in the 10,000m and followed it the next day with a magnificent performance in the 3000m steeplechase to lift the gold medal.

Which is an amazing testament to his dedication to training and resulting fitness.

A former Bell Baxter pupil, Sam competes in the T20 class and is coached at Fife AC by Ron Morrison, training with Paralympian Derek Rae and other club members six days per week. 

Sam’s parents Ruwan and Kate Fernando were in the audience as Club President John Spittal handed over the quaich and a bursary to a very deserving DSF member.

Also present was Richard Brickley MBE, Chairman of DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees and who is also an honorary member of the Club.

The Club’s AGM followed – but not before the presentation of the evening’s second award.

A relatively recent member, Irene Walker, was the deserving recipient as the Club’s Rotarian Of TheYear.

John Spittal paid tribute to her consistent willingness to take on and carry out successfully any task, however daunting.

Opening the AGM proceedings, John described a great year for the Club and its work on behalf of many organisations and charities. By the year end Kilrymont Rotary will have completed 23 projects, including general fund-raising activites, youth projects, West Sands sandcastle competitions and Carol singing for several audiences at Christmas.

He calculated that members had put in a total of 1245 hours of work to exceed the fund-raising targets for the year.