A LYMM woman has been recognised in The Queen’s Birthday Honours this year.

Christina Noble has been awarded a British Empire Medal thanks to her services to ice skating.

The 81-year-old has been a British Skating official for both short-track speed skating and figure skating for the last 40 years.

She is currently working as part of a performance group advising and supporting the country's elite athletes both at home and abroad.

‘Happy Aura’, as she is affectionately known, could not believe it when her letter came through after the British Short Track Championships at the end of April.

READ MORE: The 7 Warringtonians named on Queen’s birthday honours list

“It was a big surprise.

“I was shocked because you don’t expect it.

“When you volunteer for things you don’t expect to get anything like that you just enjoy helping.

“You get a great deal out of volunteering.

“I think I read the letter about three times.”

 

Christina looking at her letter about the honour

Christina, a former skater, began volunteering when she took her children skating and got them involved.

She continued: “It gives me a lot of self-satisfaction to volunteer.

“I work with a really nice group of volunteers – I love working with volunteers.

“You see young children, how they develop, their personalities and how they grow and then you see them come on the volunteering side.

“We have one who has gone from being a skater in competitions at club level to representing Great Britain as a referee in the short-track Olympics this year.

“When you see how they develop it is wonderful."

The Lymm resident for more than 20 years – a respected figure within British Ice skating – added: “I love working with young people and watching them develop – that’s the satisfaction.

“You’re there for them to participate in the sport that they are keen on doing.

“You also make a lot of friends and meet a lot of really, really nice people.

“The volunteering contributes to my enjoyment of life.”