We are very pleased to announce that Caroline Searle, who has worked as part of the Team Bath media team since 1996, has been recognised with a highly prestigious award.

Caroline was presented with this year's Doug Gardner Award for Services to Sports’ Journalism and to the Sports Journalists’ Association, at the annual, national SJA awards ceremony held last week in London.

A University graduate and Bath resident, she has worked in the Team GB communications team for seven Olympic Games as well as multiple Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. She has also been the GB Rowing Team's press officer for 15 years.

Caroline is the first woman to receive the honour in the award’s 27-year history.

Former winners have included Sir Michael Parkinson, Ian Wooldridge of Daily Mail fame, John Bromley of ITV Sport, Olympic journalist titans David Miller and John Rodda, as well as former national newspaper sports editors such as David Welch, Tom Clarke and David Hunn.

“I was totally shocked to receive such a prestigious award,” she said.

“Last year’s winner was Sir Michael Parkinson which makes it doubly humbling really. It was fabulous to be recognised in a room packed with great journalists and athletes that I have so enjoyed working with over the decades.”

Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University, said: "I am delighted that Caroline's immense contribution to British sport has been recognised through this prestigious award.

"The list of recipients reads like a 'who's who' of sports journalists and Caroline thoroughly deserves to be part of this select group, and being the first woman and first non-journalist to join this group illustrates the enormity of this achievement.

"We are very fortunate that Caroline's network and expertise is available to promote the quality of the sporting offer here at the University."