DOUBLE Olympic gymnastics champion Max Whitlock was on hand to help recognise outstanding contributions to sport in Essex.

The winners of the Active Essex Sports Awards were crowned at a glittering ceremony at Chelmsford City Racecourse on Wednesday.

The awards celebrated sporting achievements from grassroots to professional level.

Alfie Davidson, from Walton, was crowned young volunteer of the year while Ottilie Robinson-Shaw, from Frinton, was crowned young sports personality of the year

Ottilie started kayaking at the age of 11 and last year won the junior gold at her first attempt at the Freestyle Kayak World Championships in Argentina.

During her time there, she volunteered at visit local schools, encouraging more young people to take up the sport.

This year, Ottilie picked up gold again by becoming the Double ICF Freestyle Kayak World Champion, the European ECA Champion, and the British Champion.

Alfie has volunteered 222 hours of his own time this year as a football coach and a referee.

This includes spending a week of his school summer holiday as a junior coach at the Walton Football Academy.

Alfie is a Level 8 referee and is an active member of the Essex FA Football Futures Programme, which recognises and rewards young people volunteering in football.

He completed the Essex FA Junior Football Leaders Award, which is the first step on the coaching ladder and regularly referees mini-soccer games at the club.

Hannah Stodel, from Colchester, was unlucky not to win an award, but was highly commended in both the sports personality and disabled sports personality categories.

Max Whitlock, a previous multiple winner at the awards ceremony, presented the young personality of the year award to Ottilie.

Max said: “It was great to be part of another fantastic night of deserved recognition for Essex’s favourite sporting stars. I know first-hand just how much it means to receive such fantastic acknowledgement for all your hard work and effort at events like these.

“It is very important to celebrate all aspects of sport and physical activity across our county, and I’d like to congratulate all the winners and finalists. Here’s to another 12 months of well-deserved success, at both a grassroots and professional stage.”

Now in their 11th year, the awards recognise the people, clubs, organisations and volunteers who make sport and fitness accessible to people across Greater Essex.

The awards are part of a commitment by Active Essex to change one million lives by getting more people around Essex active.

England Netball captain Jo Harten, from Harlow, won the coveted Sports Personality of the Year award after leading her country to Commonwealth Games glory with a dramatic victory over Australia earlier this year.