Just over a year after The Northern Echo launched its special weekly supplement dedicated to grass roots sport, the first Local Heroes Awards were held at Darlington Football Club to honour those who compete for the sheer love of sport. It turned out to be an emotional and memorable night on which the unsung heroes of sport had their moment in the spotlight. PETER BARRON reports...

STEVEN Grey's world was shattered ten years ago when he broke his back in three places during a gymnastics display.

Left in agony and a wheelchair, the future for a while looked uncertain. His battle back to fitness was long, hard, and often painful.

Part of his rehabilitation was using weights to strengthen his back muscles and he discovered he was rather good at it.

Last Friday night - on a night he will remember all of his life - he was crowned the outstanding Local Hero of 2000 at the launch of an annual event destined to become the biggest date in the grass roots sport calendar.

Steven, 32, of Salutation Road, Darlington, was judged to be the overall winner for his dedication, courage and sportsmanship.

The audience of more than 200 guests at the Ambassador Suite at Darlington Football Club heard how Steven had recovered from his horrific accident to win British, European and World power lifting titles.

Steven, a Staff Sergeant at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, was clearly moved as it was announced that he was the overall winner of the Local Heroes Awards 2000.

"To be honest, it meant more to me than being presented with some of the medals I've won because I was in my own region, among my own people," he said last night.

He was particularly pleased that his father Raymond, mother Lilian and wife Samantha were there to see him pick up the special Local Heroes trophy and £500 to spend on sports equipment.

"They haven't had the money to follow me to events around the world so it was great for them to be there," he added.

Most of Steven's titles have come under the umbrellas of the British Powerlifting Congress and the World Powerlifting Congress. He is also a member of the British Amateur Weightlifting Association, although there is some controversy over the merits of the different bodies governing power lifting.

He has been British BPC champion for five years and won the world championships in the 56-kilo category in South Africa in 1996.

He also won the World Bench-Press title in Austria a year later - a prize presented by Dave Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the Star Wars films.

A string of other British, European and World titles followed and he was also won the Combined Services Power Lifting Championships for the Army.

Steven's athletic abilities don't just involve power lifting. He is also the Combined Services record-holder for press-ups, with 1,183 in an hour.

He raised £730 for Birtley Boys Boxing Club in the process.

Steven collected his Local Heroes Award within hours of flying back from Las Vegas, where he'd won two silver medals in the World Power Lifting Congress Championships, which featured 840 competitors.

Now, he is looking forward to more honours next year, aiming to win the British Championship in July and then the World Championships in South Africa next November.

Meanwhile, sons Jake, six, and Joe, three, are already following in their father's footsteps.

Steven has made them some wooden weights, painted them silver to look realistic, and the boys love to train with their dad in the garage.

Local Heroes of the future?