Sporting Icon nominee – Meg Baldwin

Sporting Icon nominee – Meg Baldwin

Both on and off the pitch, Port Vale Women’s captain Meg Baldwin is an inspiration to her fans and pupils alike.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who has played for the team for four years and captained the side for three seasons, is also Head of PE at Thistley Hough Academy in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent.

She has continued to teach and to take her pupils on football and netball tours despite a persistent injury and undergoing recent knee ligament surgery.

Meg is also a sports reporter for Moorlands Radio and has been a match summariser for BBC Radio Stoke.

She has now been nominated as a Sporting Icon in the Your Heroes Awards by a year 10 pupil from her school, Rori Thomas.

Rori said: “Meg has been the most amazing player and person these past couple of months. She’s so confident and resilient with what she does.

“No matter what life throws her way she always has a smile on her face. Not only that, she is there for anyone and everyone.

“She is brave, confident and an all-round icon. She deserves a Your Heroes Award because I feel that she doesn’t get the recognition she deserves.”

Meg, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, is Staffordshire University alumni. She completed a foundation degree in Sports Coaching and PE at Staffordshire University followed by a teacher training qualification at Keele University.

She joined the teaching staff at Thistley Hough in 2019 following roles at Flip Out, Xercise4Less and as a gym assistant at Staffordshire University.

“I’m in a state of utter shock about being nominated for a Your Heroes Award,” said Meg. “I’m really pleased to be recognised, but this is just what I do.”