Llandudno lifeboatman Tim James is champion of champions

Oct 20 2008 By Judith Phillips

SUPREME bravery in putting his own life on the line to rescue a couple stranded on their yacht as it was pounded by giant waves saw Llandudno lifeboatman Tim James being recognised with the champion of champions award.

During the rescue operation in a Force 8 gale, 31 miles off the North Wales coast in August, Tim was lowered over the stern of the stricken yacht to try to release a rope which was tangled around its propellers and steering gear.

He was in the icy seas for one and a half hours and as the vessel was hit by 12ft high waves he was constantly in danger of it smashing down on him.

But showing exemplary calmness and courage Tim persevered until he manage to disentangle the rope. He then remained aboard the yacht and sailed it back to Conwy through the raging storm - an eight hour journey in appalling conditions.

With characteristic modesty this quietly spoken man played down his own part in the rescue of the couple from Whitchurch in Shropshire who acknowledged they were in danger of being run down by a larger vessel in the busy Irish Sea shipping lanes as the yacht wallowed helplessly.

"It was a team effort, I just did what I’ve been trained to do," said Tim, who like the rest of the crew is a volunteer.

This was one of two difficult and dangerous rescues which helped the Llandudno RNLI lifeboat crew and helpers take our team of the year award.

Hours before the rescue which saw Tim James showing such courage they put to sea in appalling conditions to go to the aid of three men aboard a wooden hulled former fishing boat which got into trouble near the Rhyl Flats windfar.

Lifeboat crews from Llandudno have been saving lives at sea as well as inland during flooding for 145 years. These two incidents - and there have been many more over the last 12 months - show just how vital they are.

Overall young champion of the year is teenage Paralympic athlete Rebecca Chin, of Deganwy.

At 16 she was the youngest Welsh competitor at the Beijing Games, where she was cruelly robbed of a medal.

Rebecca won silver in the discus only to see it taken away from her after the medal ceremony because organisers said she was technically too good to compete, a ruling that it being appealed.

She suffers from hyperlax ligaments, sometimes known as bendy legs, which means she has trouble with mobility and suffers muscular pain.

Earlier this year she gave a record breaking performance at the Disability Sports Junior Athletics Championships in Blackpool in both shotput and discus.

"Despite everything that happened I feel like a Paralympian," she says. "I never imagined I’d be going to Beijing anyway, my real aim was London 2012."

Champion person of the year in the North Wales Weekly News area is Mel Lewis, of Llandudno Junction.

Those who nominated Mel say she is the sort of person you would like as a friend, someone you imagine would always be there for a comforting chat and cup of tea when needed.

She volunteers at Llandudno Junction Community Centre where she is the heart and soul of the project, organising fundraising events liek fun days and providing help and support for anyone who needs it.

The mum of three originally from Yorkshire says she adores the people in the Junction who have made her feel so at home.

This is evident from her work with pupils from Ysgol y Gogarth special school in Llandudno who helped her spruce up the playing field at the community centre.

She is also spearheading a community campaing to save one of Llandudno Junction’s post offices from the threat of closure.

The champion school of the tear award in Conwy county goes to the environmentally aware pupils and teachers at Ysgol Betws-y-Coed.

The eco-friendly team have won a host of awards for their work including a Gold Oak title and £300 cash prize for trecycling tonnes of old Yellow Pages directories.

Betws was one of 18 county schools in Conwy to take part in the Yellow Woods Challenge and it took top spot for recycling an average of 6.5 directories per pupil.

It has also been awarded £500 for the huge amount of paper that has been collected through its schoolyeard recycling scheme.

The school garden is also growing from strength to strength with a healthy harvest of vegetable this season winning a bronze eco school award.

Sporting champion of the year for the North Wales Weekly News is the Conwy Whale Swimming Club.

Formed in 2002 to cater for disabled children wanting to learn to swim, it now has more than 40 members who gained successes in various events.

The club based at Colwyn Leisure Centre is also active in raising funds for the Ty Gobaith children’s hospice in Ty’n y Groes.

It teaches children aged between five and 18 with disabilities including Down’s Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and leatrning difficulties to do the backstroke, front crawl, breaststroke and butterfly.

Club chairman, founder and chief instructor Angie Board says Conwy Whales gives children an opportunity to mix with their peer group to socialise and develop their swimming skills in a safe and happy environment.