Coach Ansell is saddling up as role model for female cyclists

Jessie Ansell was nominated for the Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year award at just 19 years of age, taking like a duck to water in her role with Wolverhampton Wheelers cycling club.

Responsible for planning and delivering coaching sessions, the University of Derby student has been thrust into a leadership role, one which she is certainly relishing in the sport she loves.

And her work has seen her form a much-acclaimed rapport at the club.

Ansell was selected to be head coach for the West Midlands cycling team at the UK School Games and is now in the second year of a sports coaching and therapy course.

"I never dreamt of being shortlisted at all, it was a complete shock but it was an amazing feeling which took so long to sink in," she said.

"I rang my dad straight away but it wasn't until the day before the awards ceremony when I was packing that I realised what was happening.

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"When I was growing up it was all male coaches so when I was cycling and competing, I didn't necessarily have something to relate to.

"Hearing them so happy and getting the feedback from their parents about just how much they're enjoying it is a massive boost, and I can pass on some of my knowledge."

It was a coaching role that Ansell rather stumbled into, with her own ambitions to be a professional cyclist halted due to injury.

But rather than give up on the sport, the teenager found another way into her passion.

Her work behind the scenes propelled her into the final three of her young coach category at the UK Coaching Awards.

The annual celebration, organised by Sports Coach UK, honours sports coaches and coaching organisations who have demonstrated outstanding success over the previous 12 months. HRH The Princess Royal was on hand to present the awards.

And Ansell, who admits it was a night to remember in the Wembley hotel, is keen for her career to develop more memories as the years go on.

"I started competing in cycling and got injured when I was 13.

"So the coaching element really took over from there," she continued.

"Then I got into a pathway into British Cycling and got qualified as soon as I was old enough and did some work with my club.

"Even now at university I'm still trying to learn as much as I can to be the best coach I can.

"I've got a bit of a head start on people.

"I know I still have a lot more coaching to do but it's something that you don't expected to be rewarded from.

"So to have nights like this is really special."

The UK Coaching Awards honours sports coaches and coaching organisations that have demonstrated success over the previous 12 months.

This year's winners came from 11 different sports – highlighting the very best of coaching from high performance to community, from children to disability.

Find out more about coaching in the UK at www.sportscoachuk.org.