In 2023, Mary Earps, the England goalkeeper, was chosen as the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year after a year of achievements both in and out of the game.
The recipient of the World Cup shared that the award was the “ultimate accomplishment in sports” as she received it in front of a gathering of notable athletes at Media City in Salford.
Earps is the third female recipient of the award in the past three years, marking the first time in the competition’s history since the 1960s that there has been a consecutive sequence of female winners. Stuart Broad, a cricketer, came in second place, followed by heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson in third.
Earps expressed her intention to use Christmas as a time for reflection and contemplation. She acknowledged the past couple of years as being incredible and expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill her wildest dreams. She also noted that it was beyond anything she could have imagined and was still in disbelief as she stood on stage, having walked a long distance in her dress and heels. She found it slightly absurd.
Earps, who is 30 years old, was removed from the Lionesses team in 2019 and considered retiring from international play. She stated that this experience has aided in her personal growth. “I believe that the past few years have taught me the importance of resilience and character in life,” she expressed.
“It is never simple. We all experience difficult moments. And no matter what path we are on, I believe that football is a means for us to make a positive impact and change the world in our own small ways. That is what I am striving to achieve.”
Earps stood out as the rising star on the Lionesses team that fought their way to the final of the World Cup last year. She was awarded the golden glove for her outstanding performance throughout the tournament, including impressive saves during the intense second half of the semi-final against Australia and a crucial penalty save against Spain in the final. She dove low to her left and managed to hold onto Jenni Hermoso’s shot.
Her response to that save took Earps to an audience that reached beyond sports fans, however. An explosion of satisfaction was accompanied by a stream of expletives. But while the images drew some tut-tutting, for others her exclamation captured the passion of sporting endeavour as well as any moment this year. Earps went on to further cement her connection with the British public by pursuing Nike over its decision not to put a replica of her goalkeeping kit on sale for fans. Eventually Nike reversed its decision and two editions of the shirt have since sold out.
Broad placed second in the popular vote, which takes place during the televised broadcast, after making a dramatic exit from cricket by taking two wickets to secure victory in the final Test of an Ashes series. He retired from international cricket with an impressive record of 604 Test wickets for England. In a similar vein, Johnson-Thompson achieved gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest this past summer, just two years after having to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to injury.
One of the main topics at this year’s Spoty was overcoming challenges. This was the 70th ceremony of the BBC’s annual event, and the world of sports and broadcasting has significantly evolved since Christopher Chataway won the title in the same year that Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile (with Chataway as his pace maker). To commemorate the anniversary, the BBC enlisted David Beckham to lead the tributes and emphasize the significance of the event to the celebrated athletes. Paula Radcliffe also shared her victory in 2002, fueled by fans who had to fill out a coupon in the Radio Times to vote.
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In other categories of the awards, the men’s team from Manchester City achieved a triple win. They dominated in the club game, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles, earning them the title of team of the year at these awards. Additionally, star striker Erling Haaland and talented manager Pep Guardiola were recognized as World Star and Coach of the Year, respectively. “Kyle Walker informed me that this award holds great significance, so I am grateful,” expressed Guardiola through a video call from Saudi Arabia, where the team is currently participating in the Club World Cup.
Mia Brookes, 16, was awarded the Young Sports Personality of the Year for her achievement as the youngest snowboarding world champion ever. Along her journey, Brookes, from Cheshire, also made history as the first woman to successfully perform a 1440 degree rotation jump and the first British athlete to win a title in slopestyle discipline. She also secured the Big Air title at the Snowboard World Cup. In her acceptance speech, a visibly elated Brookes expressed that being at the ceremony was one of her biggest dreams and shared her goal of winning Winter Olympic gold in Milan in 2026.
Fatima Whitbread was the recipient of the Helen Rollason award, as she reflected on her friendship with the beloved broadcaster and showed her support for children in the care industry.
Sir Kenny Dalglish was honored with a lifetime achievement award and expressed his gratitude, stating that he will hold the award close to his heart. Desmond Smith, chairman of the Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club, received the unsung hero award for his role in founding the club in 1986 as a response to the discrimination faced by black Britons in other local clubs.
Source: theguardian.com
