Chris tops Gazette sports poll

Northumberland Gazette Sports Personality of the Year Chris McDonnell.

Northumberland Gazette readers have voted Chris McDonnell as their Sports Personality of the Year for 2015.

Chris, who is 24, comes from Longhoughton and has Down’s syndrome, but it doesn’t stop him competing.

At the European Down’s Syndrome Swimming competition, he won two gold medals, one silver and a bronze.

He achieved two European qualifying times and was selected to swim for the England C relay team.

He then won one gold, a silver and a bronze medal at the Reading Learning Disability Open. He also achieved two European qualifying times.

He also plays football for the Newcastle United Foundation Down’s syndrome team.

Chris topped a poll which has been running in the Gazette for the past two weeks and he was due to receive his trophy at the annual Sports Awards evening, hosted by Alnwick and District Sports Council, in the Playhouse last night.

See next week’s Gazette for an interview with Chris and the rest of the winners.