GOOD wishes and congratulations have been ringing throughout Westbury Harriers Running Club, since club chair, Geraint Torrington, was recognised as an Unsung Hero of the Year at the England Athletics (EA) South West Region Volunteer Awards.
It was stated that: “Following the loss of his wife to cancer at the end of 2024, Geraint Torrington showed remarkable resilience by stepping into the role of Chair at Westbury Harriers in 2025. Bringing energy, humour and a positive outlook during a difficult personal period, he has helped drive the club forward while ensuring volunteers feel valued and supported. Geraint has served the club in numerous roles over the past 15 years, including Secretary, Development Coordinator and Men’s Team Manager. Alongside chairing committee meetings and supporting club development, he organises the annual awards evening, supports cross-country teams, volunteers at club races and brings joy to younger members as Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny.”
Describing how he felt about the award, which was presented at a ceremony in Exeter, Geraint told the Voice: “It was an honour to be shortlisted and even better to receive the award. To be recognised for the work I do for the club is great, but it’s something I enjoy and it’s great to be able to see the results of the hard work of the committee be translated into success for the club. Success can be measured in many different ways and when we compete at cross country we have athletes aged 9 to 65+ taking part and mostly with smiles on their faces and that’s great to see.”
On their social media post, the club offered thanks to the EA South West team for organising the event, Olympian Jo Pavey for hosting and GB international Poppy Tank for sharing her thoughts on why volunteers make such a difference to the sport.