Shireen Higgins – a Get Berkshire Active Lockdown Hero
Middle distance coach Shireen Higgins has been recognised by Get Berkshire Active as a Berkshire Physical Activity Lockdown Hero due to the positive impact she has had on sport and physical activity Berkshire during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Get Berkshire Active Awards celebrate sport and physical activity achievements in Berkshire over the last year. The awards go not only to people who have excelled in sporting achievement but more importantly to people who have made sport possible for others.
Instead of the traditional 12 different award categories this year there is just one award category – ‘The Berkshire physical activity lockdown hero’.
During the pandemic Shireen gave over 700 hours to keep over forty 11 to 18-year-old athletes active and positive. As a lead coach at Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Athletic Club, she persuaded parents to help children complete individual training in local parks.
She collated performance logs, provided feedback, and encouraged new goals. Through crowd funding, she raised thousands to buy portable floodlights for training.
She also created COVID-compliant group training with staggered start times, colour coded tents and floor markers (extending her involvement by 2 hours per session).
After a successful application to England Athletics, she organised a COVID-compliant middle-distance event – the first ever race for some athletes and one of the few track races that many local athletes were able to compete in during 2020.
Join the club in congratulating Shireen for her hard work and dedication to keep young athletes fit and active during lockdown.