Sporting icons inducted into Leeds Beckett University's Hall of Fame

On Wednesday 15th October, some of the UK's most accomplished athletes returned to Leeds Beckett University for the launch of its inaugural Sport Hall of Fame, celebrating 37 alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the world of sport.

- Chelsie Sewell

Memorabilia at Leeds Beckett Sports Hall of Fame

Hosted by sports broadcaster Tanya Arnold at the university's flagship Carnegie School of Sport, the event welcomed a number of high-profile inductees, including Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee OBE; Emily Campbell, the first British woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, and Leeds Rhinos legend Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE.

The Hall of Fame celebrates Leeds Beckett University's sporting legacy, recognising individuals who have made a lasting impact across disciplines including football, rugby league and rugby union, athletics and paralympic sport, as well as aiming to inspire the next generation of stars.

The celebration brought together a host of sporting greats, including rugby union icon Sir Ian McGeechan OBE; Olympic triathlete Georgia Taylor-Brown MBE; paralympic sport advocate Dr Bob Price MBE; football star Julie Nelson BEM; pioneering sailor Dee Caffari MBE, the first woman to sail solo, nonstop around the globe in both directions and the most successful female freestyle paddler of all time, Claire O'Hara MBE.

Since 1933, when Carnegie College was founded, Leeds Beckett has been a launchpad for sporting talent, producing athletes, coaches, and leaders who have gone on to shape sport at the highest levels. Among those recognised posthumously were Sir Walter Winterbottom CBE, a trailblazer in football coaching, and renowned athletics coach Ron Pickering OBE.