'Superwoman' Reid wins 2024 BBC Sport NI's Unsung Hero award

Inspirational: Rachel Reid, head coach for The Lagan Dragons

"This woman is superwoman, she can turn her hand to everything."

For Lagan Dragons captain Karen Dougan, nominating Rachel Reid for BBC Sport NI's Unsung Hero award was a ‘no-brainer’.It was also no surprise to Karen when she won.

Unlike for Rachel, who was shocked as her crew and team-mates cheered as she stepped off the pontoon on the river Lagan.

The Lagan Dragons was a club set up in 2015 for those who have been directly or indirectly impacted by breast cancer - the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. Having been first involved in Dragon Boat Racing - a paddle sport where teams race in long boats that originated in China - in 1991, Rachel became head coach with the Belfast-based club.

“This club means everything and these women are so inspirational," said Rachel as she was presented with the award after a Sunday morning training session.

"The journey that they have all been on, a lot of them are starting a whole new life after a horrible event. A lot of them have never done sport before, so it's a new venture for them to be part of a team and going out and winning medals. It's just a great experience for them and I feel very privileged to be able to help with that."

Speaking after Rachel was handed the Unsung Hero award to huge cheers from those on the banks of the Lagan, Karen added that she is the "heartbeat of our club".

"Rachel is so selfless, inspiring and inclusive," added Dougan, who is the captain of Lagan Dragons. “She is so warm and has the most amazing dry sense of humour. She is amazing and she has touched everyone's lives in this club. She has helped us achieve far more than we thought we could."

Karen outlined the hours and effort that Rachel puts in to making sure the Lagan Dragons are a slick operation, often in her own time.

"Rachel does so much for this club. She stays up to one or two o'clock in the morning working out the squad lists or training regimes. She is always tidying up the site, she brings a strimmer to cut down all the weeds and being things like fridges and microwaves to our wee club. We couldn't ask for a better head coach than we have in Rachel.  She is a lovely, beautiful and kind-hearted woman. She is just phenomenal."

Rachel had previously coached rugby and rowing, but admits she "never really felt like I was making a difference".

That changed once she started coaching the Lagan Dragons. Those who are part of the club have the option of competing or just doing it for their own physical wellbeing. It is an inclusive club, open to all.

"Now I feel like I am making a difference," said Rachel.

"Everyone in this club makes a difference, both to each other and myself. It's an amazing club to be part of. There is a great networking community here. People come here and see others who have been through what they have been through. They are inspired by others. They are out there working hard, they are not any less of an athlete because they have had a breast cancer diagnosis."

On a competitive level, the Lagan Dragons have had plenty of success and recently won a silver medal at the Irish championships.

"Some people don't want to race and that's perfectly fine. Some of them want not only race, but win," added Rachel, who will now be put forward for the Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero award, where the winner will be announced on BBC One on Tuesday, 17 December.

"That's also great. We will keep working hard and try to achieve what everyone wants to get out of this club,” said Rachel.

"You would think a club with 100 women would be a slightly scary prospect but they are all so supportive to each other and to me. They are building themselves up as a club.  They are not reliant on me and they are learning to look after the club within the group, which is great."

There are winners from each of the BBC’s nations and regions, and one overall winner will be revealed live during the ultimate celebration of sporting achievement on BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 on Tuesday 17 December, on BBC One and iPlayer.   

The Unsung Hero award celebrates the volunteers who make a positive impact on their community by enabling participation in grassroots sports, bringing people together with a shared passion for sport. 

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport says:

“The BBC is proud to celebrate the incredible volunteers who make grassroots sports possible by creating opportunities and bringing communities together. Their passion and dedication are the heart of sport, and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on their amazing work through the BBC Sport Personality Unsung Hero award.”

The inspirational sporting stories of each winner have been shared by their local BBC News this evening (Thursday 12 December) , and can be found on the BBC Sport website and app.