Queen's Birthday Honour For Wimbledon Volunteer

---

Pete is awarded the British Empire Medal

Wimbledon athletics volunteer Pete Mulholland has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Mr Mulholland, who has been cross country secretary of Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club for more than 50 years, has been honoured "for services to athletics in Wimbledon".

In the last year the 76-year-old has taken on the job of Surrey statistician spending five hours a day, seven days a week, in front of his computer ensuring the county rankings are kept up to date.

He also produces a weekly club newsletter with results and other information which he emails out to members of the Wimbledon Park-based club all over the world.

At weekends he helps out at the Wimbledon Common parkrun every Saturday morning, before going off to help out at an afternoon athletics event.

On Sunday mornings, he assists with track training sessions. He also helps out at Tuesday and Thursday training nights and facilitates Wednesday night road running sessions. For 10 years he organised the popular Hercules Wimbledon Young Athletes meeting at Crystal Palace and he has been a regular official at the London Schools Championships.

"Pete is an inspirational volunteer at Hercules Wimbledon and elsewhere", says Hercules Wimbledon's secretary Sheila White. "He gives freely of his time and experience to assist in a variety of ways and is a superb model for others to follow. He spends hours dedicated to our sport and few can match the hours and contribution he makes and has done so for half-a-century."

She added: "Hercules Wimbledon would need three or four people to do what he does if he were to retire. Pete is more than typical of those vital people who keep our sport going. He is an exceptional person and not many could match the time he gives each week in all sorts of ways - statistician, newsletter editor, meeter-and-greeter and official. No matter what event you are at, whether sleet, snow, howling winds, or scorching heat, no matter how out of the way, you would spot the white mop of hair that told you Pete was there, supporting the team, collecting results, knowing everyone…. totally indispensable."

Former Hercules Wimbledon treasurer Mick Leigh said: "Pete has great inter-personal skills which he uses to encourages athletes of all abilities, acts as a bridge between different generations, great at talking with parents of young athletes - the heart beat of the club and a father figure in local athletics."

Despite suffering from TB as a youngster, Mr Mulholland took up running, was a member of Hercules Wimbledon's winning Surrey cross country team in the 1960's and has completed five marathons.

The award follows his winning the England Athletics London Volunteer of the Year and Active Wandsworth outstanding contribution to sport and physical activity awards last year.

June 15, 2015