90-Year-Old Sailing Volunteer Receives BBC Unsung Hero Award

A volunteer at a sailing club, Jean Paton, aged 90, has been named the 2024 BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero of the Year. The accolade was presented to Ms. Paton during a ceremony held in Salford, acknowledging her forty years of service at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington. This club operates under the management of children, supported by adult assistants, and focuses on developing sailing and life skills in young individuals. Ms. Paton initially secured BBC South’s Unsung Hero Award, following a nomination from the sailing club’s 17-year-old commodore. She subsequently accepted her award personally at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year awards 2024 event. Following the award presentation, presenter and former footballer Alex Scott spoke with Ms. Paton, stating that she was “a hero to so many.” When questioned about the significance of continuing to instruct children on the water, Ms. Paton responded: “I find it brings out their enthusiasm, they’re friendly it’s something they can do, it just makes them happy.” Her counsel for individuals contemplating volunteering was: “Go ahead and try because there’s always that child that needs your abilities.” Over her tenure at Salterns, Ms. Paton has assisted over 800 children in learning how to sail. Hannah Snellgrove, a Team GB Olympian, is one of the many hundreds who acquired sailing skills at Salterns. She previously characterized Ms. Paton as “formidable,” further remarking: “You wouldn’t argue with her – because she’s always right – and she’s just the most fun, amazing person.” Ms. Paton commented that her trophy was “amazingly heavy, but gorgeous,” humorously suggesting she would require a trophy cabinet by Christmas. “It was a lot of people about, I’ve done a tiny bit of public speaking but not quite so many,” she stated. She added: “It’s just a total surprise, it’s so kind of Salterns to propose me, they’re such a lovely bunch of kids.” The Unsung Hero attended the awards evening accompanied by her son Rory and granddaughter Alex, mentioning she had never previously experienced a red carpet, though she quipped she’d “had red carpets at home.” Her granddaughter, Alex, expressed being “so proud” and astonishment at finding herself on stage with her Granny. She further commented: “That was amazing. I wasn’t expecting that I thought I’d be ushered off but that was really cool, so many famous people on the stage tonight and Granny was one of them.” Ms. Paton’s son, Rory, remarked: “Her eyes are really sparkly it’s lovely, just amazing. She’s just a force of nature.” He also noted, “Not a dry eye in the house from where I was sat.” For updates, BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight can be followed on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.