Purchase picks up sportsman award

Zac Purchase teamed up with Mark Hunter to win Olympic Gold

Worcestershire's Olympic rowing champion Zac Purchase has been named the BBC Midlands Sportsman of the year.

Purchase told BBC Hereford and Worcester he had accepted the award on behalf of all of those who had worked so hard to help him achieve his dream.

"It's absolutely lovely to be honoured in this way - we've put in a lot of work over the last four years.

"I'm the one picking up the award, but there have been so many people who have worked with me," he added.

The former King's School, Worcester pupil teamed up with Mark Hunter to win gold in the men's lightweight double sculls in Beijing - the first time Great Britain had won the Olympic title in this category.

Purchase said that there were so many people who had backed him during his rowing career, and he wished they could all have been at the National Motorcycle Museum to receive their share of the glory.

"Everybody who has been associated with this in any way deserves some part of any success at the end and it's a shame that I can't fit everyone up on stage with me," he said.

"Everyone from nutritionists to coaches - Mark, the guy I rowed with - without him ultimately it would have been impossible.

"There are so many people who are out there and I wish I could thank everybody," he added.

Without that sort of impetus and enthusiasm at school I wouldn't be here now

Zac Purchase

Among those to whom Zac paid particular tribute were those members of staff at King's School who had clearly spotted his potential at an early age.

"Without that sort of impetus and enthusiasm at school I wouldn't be here now.

"People who got behind me and allowed me to be a day late with my homework to give me that little bit of flexibility to be able to do what I wanted to do internationally on the rowing scene.

"They obviously believed in me then and it's great to be able to reward them now for their obvious leniency," he added.

The Hereford United chairman and manager Graham Turner was nominated as the Sports Personality of the Year, but the award went to Paralympic double gold medallist Ellie Symonds.

Herefordshire swimmer Sasha Kindred was once again nominated as Disabled Sportsman of the Year, while Worcester Warriors wing Miles Benjamin was nominated for the Breakthrough Award but both were pipped to the title.