The Active Achievement Award celebrates an individual or small group of people for a personal physical or sporting achievement that was a significant accomplishment for them. The award recognises a wide variety of accomplishments, no matter how big or small, as long as they are personally significant.

Our Finalists

Danielle Booth

Danielle is passionate about football and has been an active member of Lincoln’s DS Active football, a Down Syndrome football team run by Lincoln City Foundation, since she was six. She has competed in tournaments across the country and won trophies in Bradford, Doncaster and national Down Syndrome competitions. In 2017, she began playing badminton and now regularly represents Lincolnshire at Special Olympics events, earning medals at competitions including the Four Nations Disability Tournament and the Special Olympics Great Britain Series Summer of Sport. She has also completed the Special Olympics GB Athlete Leader course.

Alongside team sports, Danielle sets herself personal challenges each year, completing 10Ks, half-marathons and a full marathon with her dad, Steve. She has also organised and taken part in long-distance charity walks, including a 46-mile walk from Wrexham to Wigan and a 45.5-mile walk from Wigan to Blackpool, raising nearly £1,000 for rare disease research. Danielle continues to train regularly and supports other Special Olympic athletes and teammates in their sporting journeys.

Michael Evans

This year Mike represented Team UK at the 2025 Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler, competing in biathlon, skeleton, indoor rowing, and wheelchair basketball. After undergoing major brain surgery in 2021 to remove a tumour, Mike lives with permanent balance and coordination challenges and deafness in his right ear, but continues to take on new sporting challenges. In Vancouver, he achieved a personal best in the biathlon and placed 5th in skeleton, missing out on a medal by just 0.08 seconds.

Mike previously competed at the 2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf and has earned his 1st Dan black belt in Korean martial arts despite ongoing balance issues. He volunteers extensively, delivering talks to RAF personnel, schools, scout groups, and representing the Royal British Legion to promote disability sport and recovery. Through his journey, Mike supports and encourages others with disabilities to achieve their personal best

Leah Howard

Leah began playing football at the age of 11 and quickly developed a passion for the game. She completed her first season with Louth in 2022, earning the “Most Improved Player” award for her team. In her second season, she became a key player, featuring in every match at centre-back. The following year, Leah moved to another Louth club and also joined the Lincoln City Development Group, furthering her training and development.

This year has been particularly significant for Leah, with several notable achievements. Her Louth team finished second in an international tournament in France, she successfully qualified as a referee, and she is on track to complete 300 hours of volunteer coaching alongside professional coaches at Lincoln City. In addition, Leah supports the Louth Under-5s team, helping the next generation of players develop their skills.

View all our finalists