WILTSHIRE’S Deborah Bray is hoping that being recognised as one of the country’s most-deserving volunteer athletics coaches can help inspire other women to follow in her footsteps.

Bray, who founded the Lavington Atheltics charitable trust, was nominated by her peers for England Athletics’ South West regional volunteer awards and was promptly informed on October 14 that she had been named the region’s coach of the year.

That award victory ended up putting Bray in the running for England Athletics’ National Volunteer Awards just a few days later and on Saturday, the Potterne Wick coach was named the national coach of the year at Birmingham’s NEC (National Exhibition Centre).

“The information always comes round for people to make their nominations for the regional awards and I was really happy when I found out that people wanted to put me forward,” said Bray.

“I found out I’d won it but we haven’t actually had the ceremony for it yet.

“I thought that people from all the nine regions would go forward to the national awards but I found out it was three for each awards. Even then, I never expected to win – I was just there for the champagne reception.

“It’s really nice to win it and I don’t know how many female coaches have won in the past but I hope that more women look at it and realise that they can get involved in athletics too.

“I think people sometimes think us coaches get paid. I’m very busy throughout the week and I think the work I do with disability sport also helped me get this award. I’m very honoured.”

Mother-of-two Bray has been coaching since 2001 and is a level three performance coach and level three high jump coach.

She was previously chairman of Wessex and Bath AC and also helped set up a South of England development squad for the Mencap England squad for athletes with a learning disability.