Top honour for John Penny

Tuesday 13 October 2009

On Saturday next, 17th October, at the Annual General Meeting to be held in Llandrindod Wells, long serving club member John Penny will become President of Welsh Athletics, the highest position in the sport in Wales.

John has been Vice President for 7 years and will serve as President for the next two years.

John has been Chairman of the club for the past year but will step down at the forthcoming AGM to take up his new responsibilities.

John Penny was a miler in his youth and also played soccer to a good standard, playing in the premier division of the Cardiff and District League.

As have so many, John came into athletics through his daughter Diana when she joined Cardiff AAC. He was quickly roped in to help and took an interest in coaching, firstly with a sprints group but then turning to high jump where he became a level 4 coach, having been encouraged by club official Dave Williams and the then Welsh National coach Malcolm Arnold.

His most successful athletes were Christine Brookes who set a new club high jump record of 1.75m and Sam Hood who cleared 2.09m and was ranked second in the UK in his age group.

Not content just to coach, John took on the team manager's role and has been leading the senior women's teams for around 20 years. His proudest moments were when the club's women's team won the European Clubs Cross Country Championship and when the UK Women's League team won promotion to the first division, having qualified to take part in the League only five years previously.

John joined Cardiff AAC more than 30 years ago, was President for the two years 1994 - 1996 and Chairman on two occasions.

He celebrates his 75th birthday later this month.

Congratulations John.