High Performance Coach, Damian Kennedy, has been honoured by the UK National Lottery, and is a selected as a “Game Changer”, along with 29 others across the UK who’ve made a pivotal contribution to their sports and their communities.
Damian is among a group of 7 Games Changers being platformed and celebrated today, to as part of The UK National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations with a collection of poems by artist Robert Montgomery.
In May, Damian was honoured at the Sport NI Sportmaker 2023 Awards, for his role as Team NI Boxing Head Coach at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, as well as his High Performance coaching in 2023 and 2024. Team NI topped the medal standings at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, taking home 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.
The poem has been unveiled across four locations – Wembley Stadium, Principality Stadium, the University of Stirling swimming pool and the Ulster University Sports Village. Each verse of the poem highlights one of the seven Game Changers (Dame Sarah Storey, Stephen Jones, Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE, Steven Tigg, Damian Kennedy, Alice Dearing, and Baroness Sue Campbell) and recognises their impact on both grassroots and elite level sport, with the help of National Lottery players who raise £30 million every week for good causes.