European triumph shortlisted for major award

It has today been revealed that European Champions Sally Kidson and Connor Wellfare, and coach Lauren Kianchehr, have been shortlisted for a prestigious UK Sport award.

The trio from Boccia UK have been nominated for the spirit of high-performance award at the PLx ceremony, which takes place on 2 December.

The award recognises individuals and teams that collaborate, adapt and maintain integrity under pressure.

sally kidson, connor wellfare and lauren kianchehr are up for an award

In July, at the European Championships, Sally and Connor, guided by Lauren, won gold in the BC3 event. The achievement came after a particularly sad and stressful period as Sally’s BC3 Pairs partner, Will Arnott, died in December 2024.

Will, an established member of the Great Britain boccia team, was not only a close friend and team-mate of Sally’s but he had also closely worked for many years with ramp operator Connor. And Lauren had always been a mentor to Will and an integral part of his coaching team.

Performance Director Greg Baker said:

“In December last year, the Boccia UK family was rocked by the news that two of its athletes, Will Arnott and Matt Berry, died just a day apart. Sally, Connor and Lauren all worked closely with Will, in particular, and were extremely close friends.

“But through this extremely difficult time, they have supported each other through grief and together produced an unbelievable performance to win gold. For me, they define what high performance sport is all about.

“They made the impossible possible this year and we’re really proud of what they have achieved and what they have overcome.”

Andrew Evans, Performance Psychologist to Boccia UK during the Europeans, said:

“Above all, Sally, Connor and Lauren were all very close friends with Will and were therefore tremendously impacted by the sad news of his passing. Not only did they all have to process their own grief but eventually, when the time was right, they all had to adjust to being back on court, training and competing in very different and unfamiliar circumstances. For Sally to win gold, with Lauren and Connor by her side, while dealing with real adversity was nothing short of remarkable.”

The PLx Awards 2025 are a celebration of the outstanding achievements of those who contribute to making extraordinary sporting moments happen. The awards take place on 2 December and will feature eight categories showcasing the best and brightest in our high-performance community. Sophie Newnham has also been shortlisted for the Athlete award after a year in which she has rocketed up the world rankings.