AN 'inspirational' boxing coach has been recognised as Young Coach of the Year at a prestigious national ceremony.

Gabrielle Reid, from Poole, was given the award at the UK Coaching Awards in Leeds, recognised as the most prestigious within the coaching community.

She was awarded the accolade to celebrate her work inspiring others who have faced similar barriers to herself.

Gabrielle has right hemiplegia, meaning she is paralysed down one side of her body and discovered her passion for boxing in sixth form.

The person who nominated her for the award highlighted her ‘unwavering resilience and commitment’ to making a positive impact in her community through coaching at Wimborne ABC.

They cited her ability to inspire others and inspire them to ‘see past any barriers they may face’.

Gabrielle was also recognised for taking the time to understand each person as an individual and their needs.

On receiving the award, Gabrielle said: “It is so great to be awarded the Young Coach of the Year Award tonight, to be honest, I cannot believe I have won it with all the great coaches who were here tonight, and I am so grateful.

“Coaching is everything to me, it is what I do every day and even if it was my job I would still do it because it is rewarding to see all the people's lives you impact. You don’t realise the people you are coaching make just as much of an impact on your life as you do on theirs.”

Gabrielle takes a child-first approach in her coaching, involving participants actively in decision-making and regularly holding open discussions to gather ideas and suggestions.

She has also invested time in her own development as a coach through her apprenticeship.

UK Coaching’s CEO Mark Gannon congratulated Gabrielle on her award.

He said: “I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Gabrielle on her fantastic work which we are very proud to recognise by presenting her with a UK Coaching award.

“Gabrielle is one of the nation’s outstanding coaches for 2023 who has changed so many lives through their dedication and creativity in making sport and physical activity accessible for even more people.”