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Emotional day for champion as she collects her MBE at Palace
After a year marked by both triumph and tragedy, world taekowndo champion Sarah Stevenson received her MBE yesterday capping an emotional year for the sportswoman.
The Doncaster athlete, who last year won the world title but lost her parents to illness – dedicated her achievement to them and said yesterday would have been an emotional day for them.
Her father Roy died from a brain tumour last July and her mother lost her battle with cancer three months later.
Ms Stevenson won Britain’s first taekwondo Olympic medal by claiming bronze in Beijing in 2008 and had agonised about competing in the World Championships after taking time out to care for her parents. She went on to win in the -67kg category in South Korea and again dedicated her success to her family.
Stevenson received the honour from the Queen supported by a crutch after undergoing an operation two weeks ago to repair damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.
The joint was covered by a bandage after the ligament was damaged during training in Mexico but she is determined to compete in the Olympics this summer.
“Last year, winning the title was pure determination and pure mental strength because I didn’t get the training I wanted to.
“It was hard to leave my parents but I did do that because I knew they wanted me to be there.”
Meanwhile England rugby league captain and Leeds Rhinos prop Jamie Peacock was presented with an MBE for services to his sport. Officially the most successful player in Super League history, he notched up another title last week when his Rhinos team were crowned world club champions.
And Oscar-nominated British actress Helena Bonham Carter was made a CBE by the Queen for her glittering career in the movies.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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