The 2018 Oldham Sports Awards - a celebration not to be missed!

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With just over a week to go until the glitzy presentation evening at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldhamers are now being urged not to miss out on their chance to celebrate with their local sporting heroes at the 2018 Oldham Sports Awards.

The great and the good of the borough's sporting fraternity will converge at the QE Hall on Friday week, September 21.

This year marks the 16th annual award ceremony.

The event allows people from different sporting backgrounds to unite as a community and appreciate each other's efforts in order to help improve the local area, while also congratulating and celebrating the accomplishments of the borough's biggest sporting heroes.

Winners from the Sport's Awards - there are eight categories - will go on to represent the borough at the Greater Manchester Sports Awards later in the year.

The award categories this year are Unsung Hero, Club of the Year, Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year, Contribution to School Sport Award, Sports Achiever of the Year and the Changing Lifestyle Award.

Today the Chronicle features the sixth of our eight looks at the award nominees with a focus on the Changing Lifestyle award.

Three people have been nominated:

Jack Mackinson

Three years ago, Jack was involved in an accident that left him with five fractures in his lower back, six fractured ribs and pelvis dysfunction.

This was coupled with arthritis and osteoporosis.

After receiving physio for his injuries, Jack was keen to improve his health further and was referred to OCL by his GP to take part in Easy Does It classes.

Soon after, Jack had become a regular at the gym and significantly improved his health and wellbeing.

He is an inspiration and source of hope for many others on the exercise referral scheme and in a similar position.

Stephen Brady

Seventy-year-old Stephen suffers with a number of health problems such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta CHD, COPD and arthritis that requires him to walk with two aids.

Following major heart surgery, Stephen decided to change his life.

He quit smoking and undertook a programme with the exercise referral team.

Through the scheme and group exercise activities he has made a number of new friends and is an inspiration to those who are acting to transform their lives alongside him.

Stephen has now fulfilled his ambition of being able to walk from his house to Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, proof that it is never too late for a lifestyle change.

Paul Jenkner

The most strenuous exercise Paul used to face was the walk from the workspace to the oven and back again in his role as a chef.

He decided to make a change and enrolled at the Man V Fat football programme supported by Oldham Athletic and Sport England.

Since then, Paul has become a man who visits the gym three times a week and is highly conscious of maintaining a healthy food intake.

The programme has given him a sense of self-belief and improved not only his physical but mental strength, making him far more outgoing and approachable.

As a chef, Paul has been able to illustrate his healthy recipes on social media and supports other players by providing healthy snacks.

His team describe him as a very good role model and Paul himself calls this change the best thing he has ever done.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at the Disabled Sports Achiever award nominees.

September 21 will present a great evening to recognise local people for their contribution to sport and activity.

Call 0161 770 4051 to book your tickets, which cost just £15 each.

In the meantime, check out local updates on Twitter using the hashtags #TeamOldham and #OSA2018