Hot off the Press! Gyndaf Hughes wins Special Recognition Award @ Sport Wales Coach of Year Awards http://www.sportwales.org.uk/news--events/news--events/events-calendar/coach-of-the-year-awards-2011.aspx
An inspirational sailing coach from North Wales, who bounced back from cancer to continue a love affair with coaching that has lasted nearly 50 years, will receive a special award at the prestigious Sport Wales Coach of the Year Awards 2011.
After sifting through a record number of entries, a panel of judges - which included representatives of governing bodies, young people, sports coach UK, disability sport and Sport Wales - have managed to whittle down the nominations and find their favourites.
Amongst the high calibre coaches who stood out for the Special Recognition Award is Pwllheli Sailing Club's much loved volunteer coach Gwyndaf Hughes.
The 71-year-old coach of 49 years, who hails from Pwllheli, impressed judges with his incredible dedication to helping young people take to the water.
Retired school teacher Gwyndaf, who passed his RYA Senior Instructor course at Plas Menai at the age of 71 in the winter of 2010, has coached generations of young people in sailing. When he was diagnosed with cancer in April 2010 his first question to doctors was whether he could carry on teaching children to sail. During his treatment he was still turning up every Monday and Friday to help prepare boats and organise paper work.
Thankfully Gwyndaf received the all clear in November 2010 and was straight back into his regular 10-12 hours a week of volunteering at the club.
He says: "It's a great honour to receive this special recognition. I'm most surprised because I didn't realise this was happening until I received a phone call to tell me.
"I've been coaching for 49 years now. I came back to the area in 1962 and formed the club in 1963. I was a craft and design teacher at Glan Y Mor school and started the sailing club in school, which I ran until I retired 17 years ago. Then I started an association because no-one was able to keep the school club running.
"I grew up on the coast but had never sailed. The closest I got to the sea was when I'd go fishing for mackerel. I went to college in London and it was there, of all places, that I started to sail. Then when I came home four years later, to a school which is basically on the beach, I carried on with the sailing.
"I kept going down to the club during my chemotherapy and, although the members wouldn't allow me to do too much, something like that gives you a great incentive. It's great to be with youngsters all the time and maybe I'm still a bit of a youngster myself which is why coaching appeals.
"If you take coaching and volunteering as a long term project you'll see the better side of youngsters. I don't recollect having to seriously tell anyone off in all my years of teaching sailing."
Gwyndaf's efforts and tireless dedication were recognised in November 2011 by the Royal Yachting Association, when he received their prestigious Community Award for services to the sport and Pwllheli Sailing Club in particular. Among the people inspired by his coaching over the years is Round the World Yachtsman Richard Tudor. Another former pupil is now an active coach and instructor at Pwhelli Sailing Club and a former chairman of the youth sailing section.
Former pupil, Aimee Saracco-Jones, has progressed through the WYA junior and youth racing circuit to secure her third year in the national Welsh sailing squad. She was introduced to sailing by Gwyndaf:
"My obsession for sailing started when I was introduced - at the age of eight - to one of the kindest men I know, Gwyndaf Hughes. He taught me and many others about respecting and appreciating the sea and the coastline where we live. He nurtured my confidence, which has helped me in sport, school and life.
"Gwyndaf also taught my father to sail when he was a young boy. He is now 46 and one of the RYA Senior Dinghy instructors and coaches at PSC. Most of the instructors have been taught by him.
"He not only teaches everyone to sail, children youths and adults alike, but fixes and maintains the boats and equipment. He fundraises for our club, does the youth accounts and membership, organises safety boat cover, coaching and parental support. He basically is Pwllheli Sailing Club. If it wasn't for 'Uncle Gwyndaf' as he's known by all, hundreds of children in our area would not have had the enjoyment of learning to sail."
Jane Butterworth, Youth Section Chairperson at Pwllheli Sailing Club, added:
"Gwyndaf has been the inspiration for many of the youngsters of Pwllheli over the last four decades. He has devoted his life to teaching young children of Pwllheli and the Llyn Peninsula to sail and most of all to have fun and be safe on the water.
"Gwyndaf's main aim has been to give as many local children as possible the opportunity to experience the chance to sail. His dedication to the sport has been second to none and without his voluntary work over the years many people would have missed the opportunity of a lifetime."
Chair of Sport Wales, Professor Laura McAllister said:
"We have an outstanding group of finalists and I'm looking forward to meeting them and hearing more about their inspirational work in Welsh sport."
The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff, on Wednesday 16th November 2011.
The Sport Wales Coach of the Year accolade will be awarded to one of the category winners.
For more information visit: www.sportwales.org.uk/coachoftheyear