A MAN who “lives and breathes boxing” and “endeavours to get the best out of everyone” is in the running for one of the prizes in this year’s South Wales Argus Sports Awards.

Simon Weaver, whose Torfaen Warriors ABC gym has produced more than 60 Welsh champions since 1993, has been nominated for the coach of the year award.

Heads of the Valleys Tang Soo Do martial arts club’s Angus Rogers picked up the award last year, 12 months after Islwyn Running Club’s Kay Dixon triumphed at the inaugural ceremony in 2018.

Nominations for this year’s coach of the year accolade and 10 more awards opened last month, with 14 gongs in all to be handed out at Chepstow Racecourse on Thursday, May 14.

“Simon works tirelessly for the club and those he coaches,” said John Funnell, who nominated Weaver at southwalesargus.co.uk/sportsawards.

“He welcomes people from all backgrounds. No matter what the ability, Simon endeavours to get the best out of everyone.

“He makes boxing as accessible as possible, paying out of his own pocket for people to train and driving around the UK taking people to shows. He does not stop!

“Simon supports those from the gypsy, LGBT, ethnic and disabled communities, all are welcome.

“His boxers have won European and British titles, and he travelled to the Commonwealth Games as a coach.

“But he has also helped a local disabled boy grow in confidence through boxing, assisted another boy who had mental health issues and a young lady who was getting bullied.

“Simon has victories every day at every level of the sport.

“He also kept the gym together after one of our champions (Shane Thomas) tragically died in a car crash aged 22 in the summer 2019.”

He continued: “Simon continues to grow as a person and a coach, constantly training in his field of boxing, but also in other areas to provide holistic care to the gym.

“Simon lives and breathes boxing, he runs many shows, and is the regional manager for Welsh Boxing.”

Some of Weaver’s successes in recent years have come through the likes of Chloe Thomas, who was part of the GB Boxing set-up in Sheffield, and schoolboy champions William Bennett and Danny Thomas.

In 2018, Weaver was invited to be part of Guernsey’s boxing team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Professional Sports Personality

Young Sports Personality

Grassroots Sports Personality

Disability Sports Performer

Outstanding Services to Sport in Gwent

Senior Team of the Year

Junior Team of the Year

Community Club of the Year

Coach of the Year

Junior Coach of the Year

Volunteer of the Year

Newport County AFC Player of the Year

Dragons Player of the Year