Sarah Stevenson, who experienced a tumultuous year by becoming the world taekwondo champion before losing both her mother and father to cancer, has ended 2011 on a high after being made an MBE in the Queen’s New Year honours list.
The 28 year-old from Doncaster, who was controversially overlooked in the all-male shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, has been officially recognised after winning the second world title of her career in South Korea in May.
Her victory came after she was forced to take a four-month break from the sport to care for her terminally ill parents. Two months after her triumph, her father Roy died from an aggressive brain tumour. Her mother Diana died of cancer in November.
“I know my parents would have been so proud of this award,” said Stevenson, who was a bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and is one of Britain’s outstanding gold medal hopes in London next summer.
“It’s fantastic to be recognised for the hard work I have put into taekwondo for the past 21 years. It’s also a boost for the sport in this country and I am proud to be an ambassador for taekwondo. I hope this will continue to help raise the profile of this great sport.”
Stevenson’s personal problems have prevented her from competing since her world triumph but she is due to join the British taekwondo squad for a training camp in Mexico City next month.
