Helen Rollason Award Commemorates 25 Years, Honoring a Broadcasting Pioneer

Helen Rollason, who joined BBC Sport in 1990, is remembered by her daughter, Nikki Rollason, through a cherished childhood memory of her mother in their living room, surrounded by newspaper back pages. Nikki stated, “It was just part of our life – her doing her research, really being curious and wanting to make sure the job she did was the absolute best.” Helen Rollason was a pioneering figure in sports broadcasting, becoming the first woman to present the BBC’s flagship Grandstand program. Her presenting roles also encompassed coverage of the Olympics, Paralympics, Wimbledon, and Commonwealth Games. After receiving a diagnosis of colon cancer in 1997, which subsequently spread to her liver and lungs, Rollason continued to present sport bulletins on BBC News. She passed away two years later at the age of 43, but her legacy endures. At this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year show, the Helen Rollason Award, which acknowledges outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Nikki, who was 16 when her mother died, commented, “My mum was so humble, I think she would be really shocked that it’s still going 25 years later, but we’re really proud of that legacy.” She further stated, “Mum was such a trailblazer and for me the award really encapsulates that, but also I love the fact that it also encapsulates her spirit and her attitude – the fact she was like: ‘Yes, something’s happened, but we need to keep going, and what can I do to make things better?'” Nikki added, “It’s really lovely to feel like her name is still out there. Obviously as the years go on, it’s a bit different, but she’s still remembered. It means a lot to us.” The inaugural recipient of the Helen Rollason Award was racehorse trainer Jenny Pitman, who retired following a cancer diagnosis. Other honorees have included Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Frank Williams, Martine Wright, Billy Monger, Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, and last year’s winner, Fatima Whitbread. While Nikki does not determine the award’s winner, she participates in the selection process as her mother’s “voice in the room.” This year’s event will feature an all-female presenting team comprising Gabby Logan, Clare Balding, and Alex Scott, a development Nikki believes her mother would have greatly appreciated. Nikki remarked, “When I see that, and when I see Olympic coverage, it just really makes me think of her and where she’d be.” She continued, “One of the things that I’ve been talking about recently is the audacity of my mum to just be like, ‘Hi, I’m a woman, I’d like to be a presenter’ in that day and age. It just blows my mind that she was just like: ‘Yeah, I’m going to do this.'” Nikki expressed, “One of the reasons I’m really pleased about Sport Personality still continuing with mum’s award is that I want my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter to grow up knowing who her grandmother was and her legacy.” She concluded, “I want to pass that down to her to make her aware of this amazing woman who unfortunately is not with us any more, but she’s got this amazing part of her history and I want her to grow up with that.”