Cavendish and Donnelly take top honours at Sports Awards

Ceremony celebrates successes and achievements in Manx sport

Mark Cavendish and gymnastics star Tara Donnelly have been named Isle of Man Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year at the 2021 IoM Sports Awards this evening (31 March).

Both were part of a ceremony at the Villa Marina in Douglas to celebrate the sporting quality and achievements of athletes, teams and organisations.

Cavendish enjoyed a sensational 2021, taking four stage wins at the Tour de France to equal the stage win record set by the great Eddie Merckx.

Donnelly went on to claim European, British and Manx titles on the floor and vault last year.

Meanwhile, the Manx Rams netball squad have been named 'Team of the Year' after their international success including a silver medal at the Netball Europe Open Challenge in Gibraltar.

Their captain, Ashley Hall, also took home the title of 'Coach of the Year'.

Elsewhere, FC Isle of Man were crowned 'Ambassadors of the Year' for their strong first ever league campaign this season in the NWCFL Div 1 South.

The 'Disability Sportsperson of the Year' accolade went to footballer Sean Jackson, who's performances for Manchester City's Amputee Football Team saw him called up to represent England at the European Championships in Poland.

Andrew Baker, who completed a mammoth 4,600-mile solo row across the Atlantic Ocean in 2021 raising money for several charities, was recognised with the 'Leonie Cooil Courage & Inspiration Award'.

14 awards were handed out in total during the ceremony, the full list of winners is below:

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Sportsman of the Year: Mark Cavendish (cycling)

Sportswoman of the Year: Tara Donnelly (gymnastics)

Team of the Year : Manx Rams (netball)

Ambassadors of the Year: FC Isle of Man (football)

Coach of the Year: Ashley Hall (netball)

Disability Sportsperson of the Year: Sean Jackson (football)

Leonie Cooil Courage & Inspiration Award: Andrew Baker

Lifetime Achievement Award: Colin Brown

Under-21 Sportsman of the Year: Tyler Hannay (cycling)

Under-21 Sportswoman of the Year: Kaytlyn Adshead (motorcycle trials)

Sports Administrator of the Year: Linda Alton-Heath (circuit racing)

Veteran Sportsperson of the Year: Martin Freestone (rallying)

Sports Leader of the Year: Millie Corlett