Sports Features

Nina Walker from Shepshed in Leicestershire won the BBC Sport Unsung Hero Award at the BBC East Midlands Sports Awards on 26 November 2007.

As part of her award, she went on to attend the national BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony on 09 December 2007.

Final three

Out of the 14 regional Unsung Hero award winners Nina was shortlisted to the final three for the national BBC Sport Unsung Hero Award.

"Overwhelmed, I think is the way of putting it... [I'm] doing what I enjoy that's the point, it's pure enjoyment for me, and seeing people do something they thought they would never do and learn to do activities.

"You never think of yourself as anything of a hero, so it's an overwhelming experience."

Walking the red carpet

She says going to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony was a "wonderful":

"We all met in the hotel, then we were picked up by coach and we went up the red carpet and then had to stop and be photographed, so flashes of cameras, and then in.

"Next a little ceremony together with just the Unsung Heroes and their guests, meeting a couple of stars - Tim Henman."

Meeting the stars

After the ceremony Nina and her friend, Dawn, went to the party where they met other famous sportsmen and women, like the 2006 Sports Personality of the Year Zara Phillips, and Leicestershire snooker champion Willie Thorne.

Nina and the Coach of the Year

Nina says all the people she met were very friendly:

"I was amazed that when I spoke to the stars - 'Oh yes, you were the one in the water' or 'You were the swimmer' - and that was lovely that they'd actually been watching and taking notice of what was going on for us humbler people."

Nina even managed to help Shepshed Disabled Swimming Group while she was there:

"We got a few autographs - quite a lot of autographs really - for our swimming group to sell and hopefully raise some money for our fund."

Background on Nina

The 63-year-old swimming coach has helped children and adults with disabilities for more than 25 years.

Her club, the Shepshed Disabled Swimming Group, meets every Saturday morning for two hours, with about 40 swimmers attending each session.

The judges for the BBC Sport Unsung Hero Award said: "Outstanding - amazing hard work and commitment."