Author's story of Olympic hockey triumph shortlisted for book award

A Lynn News columnist has been nominated for a major book award.

Sarah Juggins wrote The History Makers with Richard Stainthorpe following Great Britain's women's hockey triumph at the Rio Olympics two years ago.

Now the book, telling the story of the team led by Lynn-born coach Danny Kerry, has been nominated for the Thomson Reuters Illustrated Book of the Year.

The award is due to be presented in a ceremony at Lord's cricket ground next week.

The pair, who work in the media department at the International Hockey Federation (FIH), are delighted by the nomination.

Sarah said: “We really wanted to celebrate what the women did in Rio as we felt it was a watershed moment not just for women’s hockey but for women’s team sport in general.

"People like Alex Danson, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Georgie Twigg and Maddie Hinch are incredible role models for young girls and boys everywhere.

"It is a responsibility that they have completely embraced in an effort to inspire the next generation of sportspeople.”

Richard added: “To be honest, I’m still struggling to get my head around it.

"As two seasoned hockey writers, this was very much a dream project for us – the stars aligned.

"We approached GB Hockey about it in the weeks following the gold medal win, outlining our vision to create something that would contribute to the legacy of the achievement whilst also bringing some deserved attention to women’s team sport.

"They backed us wholeheartedly, and we cannot thank them enough for trusting us with this.

“The nomination is fantastic recognition not just for Sarah and myself, but also to our friends Frank Uijlenbroek and Koen Suyk. They are without doubt two of the best hockey photographers in the world, and their iconic imagery brought the whole project to life.”

The awards ceremony takes place next Thursday, June 7.