THE WINNERS of the 2014 Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards have been announced at a star-studded ceremony in London - the event was broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 8pm and 10pm.

The prestigious Awards, now in their 27th year, celebrate the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite performers, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational female figures.

Hosted by Sky News and Sky Sports presenter Sarah-Jane Mee, the seven awards were presented at the Sky studios in south-west London by Maggie Alphonsi, Helen Grant MP (the Minister for Sport &Tourism), Sally Gunnell, Ledley King, Christine Ohuruogu, Victoria Pendleton and Sir Clive Woodward.

Other well-known guests from the world of sport included: Rebecca Adlington, Mark Foster, Helen Glover, Denise Lewis, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Heather Stanning, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Amy Williams.

THE 2014 SUNDAY TIMES & SKY SPORTS SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Charlotte Dujardin

Charlotte Dujardin was last night named the Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year for 2014.

Speaking live via a video link in Australia, Dujardin said:

Thank you very much. I am really privileged to accept this award. I am sorry I can't be there but I am in Melbourne at present. I have an incredible relationship with my horse Valegro. I have been working with him for eight years now. We know each other inside out. He's like my dance partner out there. In fact, he should be up on the stage receiving the award, too. But he's at home in the stables! I would like to thank all my fans and my whole backroom team. People like Carl Hester and many others who have helped me to get to where I am today. I have had an incredible four years in my sport - what I have achieved is unbelievable.

The double Olympic champion has been recognised after maintaining her dominance of the dressage world throughout this year.
The 29-year-old won two individual gold medals (in the special and freestyle dressage) and a team silver at this summer's world equestrian games in Caen in north-west France.

The Gloucestershire-based rider currently holds freestyle and special titles at Olympic, European and world level. Elsewhere this year, Dujardin was victorious at the dressage World Cup finals in Lyon in April.

Dujardin is the third horsewoman to win the main Sportswoman award. Pippa Funnell and Zara Phillips were crowned Sportswoman of the Year in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Runner-up: Lizzy Yarnold, the Sochi Olympic skeleton champion.

Yarnold said:

Training alongside the likes of Shelley Rudman and Amy Williams made me realise that it was possible for a normal person like myself to succeed in sport. I might be the best in the world now but it's a challenge to maintain that.

Third place: Middle-distance runner Jo Pavey, the 10,000m European champion

Pavey said:

I cannot believe this. I'm so shocked. I'm honoured just to be nominated. In this room are many remarkable women and role models. There has been lots of banter about me being 41 years old but it's all good fun and keeps me young.

Also nominated: Fran Halsall (swimming), Laura Massaro (squash) and Joanna Rowsell (track cycling)

Presented by: Christine Ohuruogu

YOUNG SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
(Nominees must be 21 years of younger)
Claudia Fragapane

Claudia Fragapane made the successful transition from Bristol schoolgirl to international superstar at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

She said:

I'm shocked. Just to be in a room like this, with so amazing people, is overwhelming. It has been an amazing year for me. To go to the Europeans, the Commonwealths and then the worlds has been amazing. I suppose I would say I'm not that smart at school - so, in a way, gymnastics is the only thing I can do well! My advice to future gymnasts is simply to 'keep calm and enjoy what you do'. It's lovely being a gymnast and being able to fly.

The 17-year-old gymnast is known affectionately within artistic gymnastics as the 'Pocket Rocket' - she might be 4ft 6in tall and weigh just six-and-a-half stone but she has so much power in spite of her lithe frame.

And three months ago at the Glasgow Hydro, Fragapane demonstrated maturity, courage and technical brilliance way beyond her years.
Eight months after her making her GB senior debut, Fragapane came away from the Games in Scotland with gold medals in the team, all-round individual, the vault and floor exercise.

Victory on the final day of competition in the women's individual floor final meant Fragapane became the first English female to win four gold medals at a single Commonwealths in 84 years.

The last person to achieve such a remarkable feat was the swimmer Joyce Cooper at the inaugural Empire Games in Hamilton in 1930.

Fragapane joins Cooper, the fencer Bill Hoskyns (1958 Cardiff Games) and shooter Michael Gault (1998 Kuala Lumpur) as the only four English competitors to win four golds at a single Commonwealths.

Also nominated: Dina Asher-Smith (athletics), Morgan Lake (athletics) and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor (swimming)

Presented by: Maggie Alphonsi

TEAM OF THE YEAR
England rugby union team

The England women's rugby union team ended a run of three successive final defeats to lift the World Cup in style in August.

The Red Roses, three-time runners-up over the past 12 years, beat Canada 21-9 in Paris to win the trophy for the second time.

Although the team were winners back in 1994, this achievement is undoubtedly the highlight of women's rugby in this country.

In the final, England led by five points with 10 minutes remaining but then star player Emily Scarratt, who kicked three penalties in the match, barged through the Canadian defence to score the try that cemented their place in history.

Eleven of England's side from the 2010 final (which they lost to New Zealand) started in Paris. Four of those had been involved in the 2006 showpiece occasion (a match they also lost to the Kiwis).

The victory on French soil signalled the end of the international career of numerous players, most notably Maggie Alphonsi, one of the leading players of her generation.
The team were represented at the Awards ceremony by captain Katy McLean, Sarah Hunter, Alphonsi and Scarratt. This award was decided by Sunday Times readers and Sky Sports viewers via an online vote.

McLean said:

Our World Cup win was for the legends of the game who came before us and laid the foundations for our success. Women's rugby has grown amazingly in recent years. The sport is in a good place now.

Hunter said:

It's fantastic that the girls have the opportunity now to train full-time and live and breathe the sport which we did as a hobby.

Also nominated: England cricket team, Great Britain 4x100m athletics relay squad and the rowers Helen Glover & Heather Stanning

Presented by: Sir Clive Woodward

DISABILITY SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Stephanie Slater

Stephanie Slater was the star of the IPC European swimming championships, winning an incredible seven gold medals over the course of seven days in Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old S8 swimmer from Preston was magnificent in Holland. She was victorious in five individual disciplines (100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle) and in two relay events (4x100m medley relay and 4x100m freestyle relay).

Her best performance was a world record in the S8 100m butterfly class. Slater's time of 1min 8.20secs was 0.89secs quicker than Ukraine's Kateryna Istomina. On the final day of competition, she set a European record in the S8 50m freestyle.

Unfortunately, due to her swimming commitments, Stephanie was unable to attend the 2014 Awards ceremony. She is training this week in Rio de Janeiro.
Speaking prior to the Awards, Slater fought back tears as she said:

I feel so honoured to have won this award, especially given the quality of the other sportswomen in the running. I'm totally blown away by this. It must have been such a hard task for them to narrow the field down. I want to say a massive well done to the other sportswomen in this category. They have all achieved so much this year.

Slater, who also won a S8 100m freestyle silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealths, was a talented able-bodied swimmer but suffered nerve damage to the left-hand side of her body that forced her to give up the sport momentarily. Slater was a Gamesmaker during the London 2012 Paralympics and it was during this time she realised that Para-swimming was a viable option. She now swims using just her right arm.

Also nominated: Libby Clegg (athletics), Kelly Gallagher & guide Charlotte Evans (alpine skiing) and Jordanne Whiley (wheelchair tennis)

Presented by: Sally Gunnell

COMMUNITY AWARD
Sue Frett

Sue Frett is the founder of the Surrey branch of the Special Olympics Great Britain, an organisation that provides sports training and competition in a variety of sports for people with learning disabilities.

The 75-year-old from Epsom has helped children with learning disabilities for more than 50 years - ever since her own son, Jonathan, first attended the St. Philips School for children with intellectual challenges in Chessington, Surrey.

The SOGB describes Frett as the "sort of person that every community needs; the sort of person that comes around only once-in-a-generation". They add: "Sue has lost count of the number of disabled people that have crossed her path over the years. Not only has she got many into sport but she has helped secure sports equipment through hard work, energy and endeavour."

In 1993, Frett started a local charity called 'Reach Out' to help adults with learning disabilities. In 2007, she founded the Surrey branch of the Special Olympics Great Britain. At present, Surrey has 75 athletes in weekly training.

She says:

To see young men and women come to us as shy young people and then turn into confident athletes brings tears to your eyes. Not only do we encourage people to come on-board as athletes but we also encourage the parents to be involved. I get to know the families as well as the athletes.

Frett dedicated the Community Award to her son Jonathan, who has learning disabilities.

She said:

This lovely award is for all my athletes, who are watching at home, especially my own son. It was so important when Jonathan, at the age of 38, found the Special Olympics. It has helped him massively. The SOGB is the largest sports organisation in the world. In this country, there are 10,000 athletes in training with 147 clubs. In one week alone, 120 babies are born with a learning disability. It's important they have someone to look up to. We have to look after these people. Sport has been the biggest driver I can find. It allows people to be confident. You can bring someone into sport and within five years they could be living independently.

Frett received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pin from Prince Charles in 2012 for her volunteer work with disabled people.

Also nominated: Emma Brown (member of Hat-Trick Project, Newcastle), Esther Mathews (coach at Green Star Canoe Club, Doncaster) and Nicole Napier (sports activities team leader, activeNewham, East London)

Presented by: Helen Grant MP

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Louise Martin

Louise Martin, vice-chair of the Organising Committee for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Born in Dunfermline in 1946, Martin (née Campbell) has had a long and on-going association with the Commonwealths as a competitor, team manager and administrator.
She enjoyed a 10-year international career as a swimmer. The highlight was competing for Scotland at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia, making the swimming finals in the 100m and 200m backstroke.

In 2002, Martin was named as the Sunday Times Sports Administrator of the Year.

In November 2011, Martin was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term as Commonwealth Games Federation Honorary Secretary. She is the first woman to hold a position on their executive board. In addition, she is a member of the Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sport and the Board of UK Sport.

Upon retirement from swimming, Martin has become one of Scotland's most respected administrators. She is currently the chair of sportscotland (an organisation that leads development of sport and physical recreation north of the border) and the immediate past chair of the Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS).

In the latter role, she significantly played a pivotal role in Glasgow's successful bid for the 2014 Commonwealths (the third time Scotland have staged the event after the Edinburgh Games of 1970 and 1986).

When the Queen's Baton was presented Her Majesty the Queen at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Games in July, it was a moving sight for all involved - and it was testimony to years of dedication and sustained commitment provided by one passionate 68-year-old.

At the closing ceremony, the Games were hailed by Commonwealth Games Federation President Prince Imran as "the best ever". Team Scotland enjoyed their most successful Games, winning 53 medals, including 19 golds, and finishing fourth in the overall table of nations.

Receiving her award, Martin said:

I'm lost for words. This is unbelievable. The Commonwealth Games are so different to the Olympic Games. In the Commonwealth, we are all a family and we all speak the same language. The Glasgow Games were terrific. I felt such a relief when it came to the closing ceremony. We delivered exactly as we wanted from the beginning for the athletes of the Commonwealth. They all had fun and went home with new friends.

Presented by: Victoria Pendleton

HELEN ROLLASON AWARD FOR INSPIRATION
Mel Woodards

Mel Woodards, chairman of Milton Nomads junior football club in Somerset, was awarded the prestigious Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration.

Over the past few years, Woodards from Weston-super-Mare has used volunteering as a way for her and her two children (a son aged 13 and a daughter aged seven) to overcome domestic violence. Most pertinently, the 40-year-old helped to set up a local league that now allows 900 children to take part in football within her community.

After building up the courage to leave her ex-husband and report him to the police, Woodards suffered from depression and low self-esteem. Having attended court over 40 times, she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress disorder.

Woodards was offered a range of different support during this traumatic time, including group counselling. A conversation with her then social worker about a shared love of football led to her being asked to coach a local club for children who were still suffering with domestic abuse. This experience opened a number of doors within volunteering - and she has since managed to turn her life around.

She duly became team manager, then fundraiser and eventually club chairwoman of her local football team (Milton Nomads JFC). In 2013, she got involved in the formation of the SNYFL (Somerset North Youth Football League). Earlier this summer the SNYFL, of which Woodards is now overall secretary, signed its 900th player.
Through volunteering, Woodards has been able to regain her confidence, increase her social circle and overcome depression.

She says:

I don't believe I would have coped over the last seven years with my personal difficulties and traumas without my voluntary work in junior football. It has been a positive distraction and provided an awesome support network for me and my kids.

Woodards believes that volunteering has been the "best trauma counselling" for her and her family. Their shared love of football has helped them to overcome their difficulties and brought them closer together as a family.

She says:

Volunteering has saved my life. Literally, I believe I would be dead if it wasn't for volunteering. It's turned my life around.

Presented by: Ledley King