By Elizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport in Birmingham |
  Bushell and Hart were both Paralympic finalists in Beijing |
Wheelchair racer Mickey Bushell and sprinter Katrina Hart were among the winners at the Npower Midlands Disability Sports Awards. Bushell, 18, was a surprise Paralympic 100m silver medallist in Beijing. Hart, also 18, made the final of the T37 100m before being forced out of the 200m with a hamstring problem. Wolverhampton Rhinos basketball team were club of the year while their coach Sinclair Thomas took the coach of the year honour. The ceremony honoured disabled athletes, coaches and volunteers from a variety of sports from all across the West Midlands.  | I'm looking forward to getting back racing and looking towards the 2011 World Championships and London 2012 |
Awards were presented by the region's Paralympians, including equestrian star Lee Pearson and swimmers Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis. Hart, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is set to compete at the BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester in May and is hoping to put her injury disappointments of 2008 behind her. "I've changed coaches since Beijing and am now based at Bath University so I hope the changes will help me improve as an athlete," she told BBC Sport. "It's great to win the award. I missed the ceremony last year because I was training in Portugal so I'm delighted to be here and pick up the award." Bushell's main focus for 2009 is a series of track races in Switzerland later this summer, where he will be hoping to build on his Beijing success. "It's been good to have a break after Beijing," he admitted. "But I'm looking forward to getting back racing and looking towards the 2011 World Championships and London 2012."
Award winners Young female achiever - Francesca O'Connor Young male achiever - Alex Edmunds Coach of the Year - Sinclair Thomas (Wolverhampton Rhinos basketball) Team of the Year - Wolverhampton Rhinos Partnership award - Warwickshire Cricket Club School of the Year - Penn Hall School Volunteer of the Year - Florence Griffiths (Shropshire Special Olympics) Sports Club of the Year - Aston Villa Disability Football Club Disability Sports Ambassador - Luned Lewis (Sherbourne Fields School) Male Personality of the Year - Mickey Bushell Female Personality of the Year - Katrina Hart
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