Two sporting heroes from County Durham have been recognised for their achievements and their work to teach potential stars of the future.
Charmian Rawlings and Ken Spirit received the Chairman’s medal from Durham County Council Chairman Cllr Dennis Morgan at a presentation on October 2.
Both Charmian and Ken have achieved a different kind of medal-winning success in swimming and diving after developing their sporting talents at an early age in County Durham. They have never lost their enthusiasm for the sport and every Sunday morning they teach potential stars of the future at Freeman’s Quay.
Cllr Morgan said: “It was an enormous pleasure to present these medals to Ken and Charmian and to be able to recognise their great commitment and dedication.
These are the first Chairman’s Medals I have awarded since taking office in May, and it is a fitting award to two outstanding people who enjoy giving back to the sport and helping others.”
Ken used to swim in the pool in the old wash houses and then got into diving seriously when Elvet Baths opened in 1932. He was 13 when he watched Lord Barnard open the baths and is one of the few people who can still remember the original old pool. Seventy six years later, in 2008, Ken helped to open the new facilities at Freeman’s Quay.
His passion has always been diving and he was self-taught, going on to win gold in the Northumberland and Durham Diving Championships.
Charmian became an Olympic and Commonwealth Games diver having learned her trade in the Dawdon pit pool. She was just 15 when she finished fifth in the three metre diving competition in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Four years later she was in the team for the Melbourne Olympics and in 1958 won double gold in the Empire and Commonwealth games in Cardiff.
A third Chairman’s Medal was presented to Durham City Amateur Swimming Club in recognition of its anniversary this year, which marks 150 years of teaching and promoting swimming, which Cllr Morgan described as “a wonderful achievement”
In the swim: Charmian Rawlings, volunteer coach, Cllr Dennis Morgan, chairman of Durham County Council, Terry Dawson, chairman of Durham City Amateur Swimming and Water Polo Club, Ken Spirit, volunteer coach, Mrs Spirit.
