Which of these heroes will be Yorkshire’s champion?

THESE three inspirational people have all been shortlisted for the accolade of Yorkshire’s Champion in our special competition. Now you can choose who you would like to see be given the award.
Who will be Yorkshire's Champion?Who will be Yorkshire's Champion?
Who will be Yorkshire's Champion?

To vote see the box to the right. If you are on the mobile site scroll to the bottom and click on switch to desktop site.

SUE WOODALL

IF anyone knows how to bring home the bacon it’s Sue Woodall.

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As chairman of Ladies in Pigs she leads an army of women fighting to spread the word about British pork.

With energy and passion, she heads a team traveling across the country with a mobile kitchen cooking and handing out tasters of innovative British pork recipes.

Last year Ladies in Pigs distributed more than 30,000 specially-made recipe leaflets and carried out nearly 500 demonstrations promoting British pork, bacon, ham and sausages.

They also handed out 30,000 copies of a special pack aimed at primary school children so they understand what they are eating.

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And it’s all organised and run from her home in North Cave, East Yorkshire.

As if that wasn’t enough Mrs Woodall also liaises with major supermarkets as part of her fight to get more British meat on the shelves.

The 49-year-old mother-of-two has been involved with the organisation for more than 20 years and was asked to take over as chairman four years ago.

The daughter of wholesale pork butchers from Hull she is passionate about British pork and pork products.

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‘A lot of people want to support and buy local but they do not know how to help,’ she said.

“It’s not just pork, it’s right across the sector.’

She added: ‘It is unbelievably important, pig farmers do not get any help whatsoever.’

She said she could not believe she had been nominated for the award.

‘It is just something that I love doing. I love working for the pig industry. The team of ladies that I work with are fantastic. It is a team effort, it’s just that I am at the helm. It is a recognition for all the Ladies in Pigs and not just me.’

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Richard Longthorp, from Goole, who nominated her, praised her passion for her role.

‘Other farming sectors would be happy to have a marketing ambassador who is half as nice and half as effective,’ he said.

He added: ‘Sue is probably the British Pig Industry’s best and most high-profile marketeer and the industry thinks the world of her and her volunteer army (which she runs with a friendly but firm hand.)’

JOHN WATERHOUSE

WHEN John Waterhouse suddenly fell on the tennis court he knew something was wrong.

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The keen player was diagnosed with having Parkinson’s, but he decided to turn his illness into doing something good.

Keeping busy, he says, was key.

Busy meant that as he could no longer play sport competitively, he began to write about it instead.

He has since had two books published, raising money for Parkinson’s UK to boot.

His first book ‘Memories of a Sporting Man’ chronicles his years playing local sport and details amusing anecdotes along the way.

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John, who was diagnosed in 2007, worked to sell and market the book with some help from his beloved Huddersfield Town and was able to donate more than £1,000 to help other sufferers of the neurological condition.

The 75-year-old’s latest release is called Fantasy Tales where he indulges in dreams such as scoring a vital goal for England, before bowling out the Aussies in the Ashes.

Despite his illness taking hold and affecting his ability to write he still managed to get the book finished - and even being admitted to hospital for surgery has not stopped him from promoting it.

Similarly despite worsening mobility problems, John also managed to complete a sponsored 2.5-mile walk earlier this summer and raise more then £700.

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Other plans in the pipeline also include a possible lunch in the Spring.

Ian Savage, regional fundraiser for Yorkshire and the Humber for Parkinson’s UK, who nominated John, said: “Writing and publishing a book is quite an achievement for anyone, but to do so at John’s age, and dealing with Parkinson’s and its complicated symptoms is really is quite incredible. Very few would achieve what John has accomplished – even fewer would have done it twice. This is why I’ve nominated John as “Yorkshire’s Champion”. He’s a real character who does not let the difficulties he faces in life dampen either his spirits or his determination to achieve things. He’s a champion not just because he raises money for Parkinson’s UK, but because of his inspiring achievements and driven spirit.

ADRIAN HOWDEN

ADRIAN Howden had just completed the Three Peaks fell race when he was knocked down by a motorcyclist changing his life forever.

The teacher at Allerton High School in Leeds hit a stone wall, twisting his foot right around and badly breaking his ankle. He was left with limited mobility and an infection so the keen runner had his right leg amputated.

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But Adrian, an international distance runner who was the first winner of the Leeds Abbey Dash, refused to let it stop him doing what he loved and bounced nack with a fierce determination to continue his passion.

He was prescribed a carbon fibre running blade by the NHS and has been competing in disabled triathlons and duathlons which involves cycling and running ever since. Now he has an advanced new running foot which features a carbon fibre support and is designed to help him run faster and faster.

Just this week the 55-year-old has won silver in the Duathalon World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. He came fifth in the same event in 2011 and 2012.

He also last month won Bronze at the British Paratriathlon Championships in Liverpool.

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His wife Karen said it was because he could not run after the accident that he tried cycling - and discovered a whole new sport.

‘He is very pragmatic and he is always more an optimistic than a pessimistic person. He just gets on with it and makes the most of it. He has really turned it around and it has given him a completely new career in his later years,’ she said.

Adrian, from Roundhay, Leeds, was nominated by Steve Carter, the prosthetic service manager at RSLSteeper, which works with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s specialist rehabilitation centre at Seacroft Hospital.

He said: ‘In my role, I fully understand how important it is for active amputees to be able to continue to participate in the sports they love. Adrian is a proud and determined Yorkshireman who offers living proof of the remarkable things that amputee athletes can achieve. It’s fantastic to see him representing out country and competing for top honours in flagship international events.’

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• Now is the time to cast your vote for your Yorkshire Champion.

You can vote here by simply selecting who you would like to choose. The winner will be decided by the number of votes received on the internet and by post.

We teamed up with Hull-based bakers Jackson’s for the competition that ties in with the launch of their Yorkshire’s Champion bread.

The shortlist was selected after we asked readers to nominate who they thought deserved the title for their work in any area such as charity, sport or community.

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The champion will win the chance to take friends or family members to enjoy a Yorkshire County Cricket match with hospitality on the Carnegie Pavilion balcony.

There will also be a signed bat presented by a member of the Yorkshire squad and the opportunity to meet and have a photo with players at the end of play.

In addition there will be a pair of tickets to the forthcoming England v Australia match.

And whoever nominates the winner will be able to choose a charity to receive a £200 donation from Jackson’s.

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Katie Seddon, marketing coordinator for Jackson’s Yorkshire’s Champion Bread, said: “Anybody from Yorkshire will happily tell you that this a county full of the most remarkable people that share the values we loosely refer to as ‘Yorkshire Grit’. All of the three nominees deserve much credit and this year’s Jackson’s Yorkshire Champion should be incredibly proud.”

All entries must be received by midday on August 21.

Usual Johnston Press competition rules apply. Editor’s decision is final. Full list of standard competition terms & conditions is available online at www.johnstonpress.co.uk/competition.

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