EAST Lothian’s sporting heroes have been recognised at East Lothian Council’s annual Celebrating Sport Awards.

Twelve awards were handed out in Musselburgh last Friday night to the county’s top sporting stars.

Among the award winners was international swimmer James Clegg.

The Musselburgh man scooped the Sportsperson of the Year award to go alongside his bronze medal from the London Paralympics last year in the 100m butterfly (S12).

He also scooped the same medal in the 400m freestyle (S12) at the recent World Championships, and beat golfer Zander Culverwell, this year’s Scottish Amateur winner, and Scotland badminton star Paul Van Rietvelde to the prize.

Clara Young, of North Berwick Golf Club, was named the Young Sportsperson of the Year after finishing as runner-up in the Scottish Ladies Championship and representing her country in the Girls Home International.

Young has also been selected as first reserve for the Ladies Home Internationals and won the award from Shona Whillans (badminton), Scott Burnside (rugby), Raquel Matos (swimming), Elizabeth Musgrove (athletics) and Gregor Gray (basketball).

The Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year award went to Maria Lyle.

Lyle – who beat swimmer Neil Howie and boccia duo Jodie Lavin and Sean McCann to the award – is a member of the Dunbar Running Club/Team East Lothian and has competed across the country, recording world-leading times in her T35 category.

That has seen her claim British and Scottish titles at 100m, 200m and cross country. She is ranked overall number one in the UK for 100m and 200m in the T35 category.

The Volunteer of the Year award is split into two categories.

In the over-25 section, the award went to Margaret Kerr, of Saltire Gymnastics, who has created and coached a new primary boys’ team to gold success at the Northern Open Championships and silver at the British Championships. Other nominees were Muriel Craig (Dunbar Badminton Club) and Vanda Dow (Active Schools and Cockenzie Star).

The younger award went to Gabby Jackson, of Haddington RFC.

She has established girls’ rugby at Knox Academy, as well as establishing girls’ football there. Also nominated were Rachael Walker of Saltire Gymnastics and hockey volunteer Daniel Hogarth.

Dunbar Grammar School’s under-15 football team was also celebrating after it was named the Team of the Year, ahead of the Tranent Colts 2000s team and East Lothian Peregrines Under-10 Boys Law Primary School.

The Dunbar teens reached the final of the Scottish Shield.

The Sports Club of the Year was Longniddry Villa FC.

Other nominees were City of Edinburgh Trampoline Club, Saltire Team Gymnastics and Disability Badminton.

Performance Coach of the Year went to Mat Troden, the head coach of the East Lothian Swim Team.

He coaches a number of swimmers who have achieved success at age group and national levels, as well as the Paralympics, with at least five aiming to reach next year’s Commonwealth Games. Trampoline coaches Lauren Jeffrey and Bruce Craig missed out.

The Development Coach of the Year award went to Chris Ewing, who has more than 25 years’ experience in karate and is the head coach and founder of a highly successful club. His athletes have won a total of 76 gold, 70 silver and 82 bronze medals over the past year and he edged out Gary Wright, of Fidra Lions, and Ronnie Jeffries, of North Berwick High School.

Community Coach of the Year went to Norma Conroy, of Dunbar Grammar and Dunbar Dragons.

She has established a number of basketball teams throughout the school and the Dunbar Dragons under-14 and under-16 teams have finished high up the regional development league.

James Jamieson, of EL Peregrines, and James Wilson, of HELP, were nominated.

Primary School Contribution to PE and Community Sport went to Ormiston Primary School, over Whitecraig and Dunbar Primaries and Janet Allport of Gullane Primary.

Three days of the week, every child in P3-7 at Ormiston will stop their work for the final 30 minutes of the day and head either outside or to the gym hall.

Finally, picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award was former Preston Lodge rugby player Allan Jacobsen, who retired earlier this year after a glittering career for Scotland and Edinburgh.

Health and nutrition specialist and TV presenter Amanda Hamilton, from North Berwick, was the host and compere at the awards in The Brunton.

She said: “Being a former badminton international who continues to play for Haddington Badminton Club and having four kids who have benefited hugely from sport in East Lothian, I was delighted to help compere this celebration of achievement and enthusiasm for sport.”