Adaptive coach Mark Dewdney and PR2 Mix2x Paralympic Champions win Variety Disability Sports Awards

The awards celebrate the achievements of disabled sports people across many levels, roles, locations, and sports – as well as the triumphs of sporting heroes at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games

At a glittering ceremony on Monday evening, Mark received the American Golf Award for Unsung Hero for his invaluable dedication to adaptive rowing. Mark is a highly respected Adaptive Head Coach at Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club and is the outgoing Chairman of British Rowing’s Club Adaptive Group.

Mark Dewdney: “It’s a bit of a surprise to win – and it was a bit of a surprise getting nominated. It could have easily been 10 others in rowing, who are doing the same things that I do. The only difference is I lead it nationally. But apart from that, we have many ‘unsung heroes’.”

Gregg Stevenson and Lauren Rowles MBE, who claimed a thrilling Paralympic gold in the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls in Paris this summer, collected the Access Card Award for Outstanding Team Achievement.

Gregg Stevenson and Lauren Rowles win Access Card Award for Outstanding Team Achievement at the Variety Disability Sports Awards presented by Fats Timbo

Gregg said, “It’s been such an exciting year, so obviously to win an award, celebrating this is really special. It’s always special being with Lauren. Sport is about social connection, building friendships, competing. It’s about the self esteem and the excitement that that brings. So younger people can build confidence and incredible skills that will take you forward in whatever avenue in life you decide to go down, which doesn’t have to be elite sport. It could be employment, university, whatever it is, these skills that we develop through sport are really beneficial.”

Lauren added, “It just means so much to win. About 12 years ago, Variety gave me my first bit of funding to get a racing chair, and it was the thing that kick started such an amazing journey in my life of getting involved in para sport. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to enter into this incredible world. Now 10 years later, in my rowing career, I’ve achieved the success that I have, and have been able to meet incredible people such as Gregg and the other rowers that we have on this team.

“That’s what it’s about. It’s about opening doors to these journeys in our lives, and to these teams, communities of people and connections. Without the funding and these essential charities that allow you to open these doors, we never would be able to get into it because of how expensive disability sport is. We feel really lucky sat here today with this award, but also feel really lucky for the people that have supported us along the way.

“If I could go back to when I first started, it was about finding people that I felt understood me and looked beyond the disability. I was at a point in my life where I really needed that, and I didn’t realise it at the very time, but it was powerful to have that to heal from what had happened to me. Having a disability at such a young age was the thing that really has led me to this point now. Friends I made when I started out are at the Paralympics today. It’s so special that they’re friends that I’ve made for life and we get to share this one thing that we enjoy, which is sport and transforming our lives through it.”