OVER the next few days we will be publishing our interviews with the winners at this year's Pride of St Helens Award.
We have a 16-page supplement of the awards night complete with all images and the interviews for sale in shops across St Helens inside this week's St Helens Star, all costing just 80p.
The third award interview we are publishing is that of Daisy Bowers, who won the Young Sportsperson Award.
DAISY Bowers already has an impressive array of trophies and awards to her name.
Daisy trains and competes in MMA and BJJ at HAMMA Academy in North Road, St Helens and has won a host of titles already.
And the 13-year-old can now add the Pride of St Helens Awards Young Sportsperson to her burgeoning collection.
Daisy, who started attending the academy aged six, has competed in Europe and America, already winning 21 golds, eight silvers and two bronzes.
Daisy’s impressive haul has included world title triumphs (which have included four gold, two silver and one bronze) and European titles (two gold and one silver).
Meanwhile, the Sutton youngster has also won four national gold titles, all with Elite BJJ Events and won silver at BJJ British Open.
Also, in all-stars BJJ she has achieved nine golds and two silvers, and a gold and silver in the Bristol Open.
After receiving her award at Friday night’s ceremony on the stage from St Helens Council leader David Baines, Daisy praised the support that the team at HAMMA Gym have given her. “It’s honestly amazing, I’ve been going there since I was about six,” said the St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School pupil.
Daisy added that it was a big “shock” to receive the award and said that the recognition means so much to her.
“It is a big thing for me really,” said the teenager, who harbours ambitions to compete at the highest levels of BJJ and make it as a professional fighter in both BJJ and UFC.
“I have competed for so long, this award has come as quite a shock.” Daisy also expressed her appreciation to those who nominated her for the Young Sportsperson award.
“Thank you, especially to my mum and also to some of my teammates who also nominated me,” she added.
Highly commended in this category were young footballer Max Lamb and netballer Caitlin Barrow.
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