Linford Christie and Lisa Wainwright join graduates in civic ceremony

Mon 22 July, 2019
Article Header Image

Graduation season opened at the 亚色视频 with a civic ceremony in Bedford where Olympic 100 metre gold medallist, Linford Christie OBE MBE, and sports education innovator, Lisa Wainwright, became Honorary Doctors.

Bedford town centre came to a standstill to the sound of the University鈥檚 as the University鈥檚 first graduation began.

The traditional procession of local dignitaries made their way through the town centre to the Corn Exchange where they were met by excited students from the University鈥檚 Faculty of Education & Sport, along with proud families and friends.

The ceremony marked the end of years of hard work and dedication by the students as they crossed the stage to collect their awards.

The graduation was a true celebration of sport and education, with the two honorary guests congratulating fellow graduates for their achievements and encouraging them to relish in their learning.

Linford Christie received an Honorary Doctor of Science for outstanding services to sport.

He has won 24 major championship medals in his career a including winning gold in the 100m at all four major competitions open to British athletes; the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, European Championships and World Championships.

Linford remains the only British athlete to achieve this feat, and since his retirement, he has found great success as a coach which included guiding Katharine Merry to bronze and Darren Campbell to silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

He said: 鈥淭o be given this award is a great honour and I鈥檓 the first doctor in my family.鈥

鈥淢y advice for anyone would be to do your best. You鈥檝e got to do something today that people will talk about tomorrow. It鈥檚 about going out there making your mark, and being nice along the way.鈥

Lisa Wainwright was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of her services to Sport Education.

Lisa is an innovator of sports education, she has spent more than 30 years in the sport and physical activity sector. She was CEO of Volleyball England for a number of years, with previous roles as Head of Sport at Sport England and as Chair of the Institute of Swimming, and she is currently the CEO of GB Basketball.

Her work in the community is also a point of celebration, Lisa was recently voted number 12 in the Top 100 LGBT+ Executives 2018 by the Financial Times, having signed the Charter against Homophobia in Sport.

Lisa Wainwright said: 鈥淭o get this prestigious award from the University where I spent 19 years working, living, breathing, and playing sport, it is really at the heart of what I want to do and share. It鈥檚 been an emotional day but it鈥檚 been an absolute pleasure.鈥

She offers advice to the Class of 2019: 鈥淐herish it, enjoy it, and make sure you keep Bedfordshire at your heart as you move through your career and your learning.鈥

Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell听congratulated graduating students, saying:听鈥淵ou are a credit to your lecturers, to the friends and family who have supported you throughout your studies, but most of all you are a credit to yourselves.鈥

telephone

University switchboard
During office hours
(Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00)
+44 (0)1234 400 400

Outside office hours
(Campus Watch)
+44 (0)1582 74 39 89

email

Admissions
admission@beds.ac.uk

International office
international@beds.ac.uk

Student support
sid@beds.ac.uk

Registration
sid@beds.ac.uk

social media