Nigel Stickings was thrilled to present Sam Reardon with the runner-up prize for SportsAid’s annual One-to-Watch Award after witnessing first-hand how hard the 400m star has worked this year.

The One-to-Watch Award, supported by Aldi, the charity’s Official Supermarket Partner, recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects and has been running since 2006 with previous victors including Olympic champions Tom Daley and Alex Yee and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold.

Reardon was selected as runner-up for the illustrious Award from around 1,000 rising stars, supported by SportsAid, across more than 60 different sports in 2024. The 21-year-old and Reardon have been working together for almost five years and the duo have been on a rollercoaster ride together in 2024.

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Having initially missed out on Olympic selection due to injury, Reardon was a late call-up for Team GB in Paris and stormed to double relay bronze. Stickings was over the moon to be asked to surprise Reardon with his runner-up plaque at a Blackheath and Bromley Athletics Club training session.

"It's lovely to present and celebrate the success that Sam has had this year," he said. "I know he really values it. To win something is always lovely and a nice recognition for the achievements that Sam has earned. It's always nice to present something to an athlete that you've looked after because you know the hard work they've put in to go towards getting it."

Reardon trains under Stickings at Blackheath and Bromley where the duo have progressed from domestic club meets to the Olympic stage in a matter of seasons. Reardon is the first athlete mentored by Stickings to make it to that stage and the coach is keen to stress how the dynamic is mutually beneficial.

"We just hit it off and 'get' each other," he said. "As much as I've been supporting Sam, he has been supporting me throughout this journey as well. He is the first athlete I've had who has reached the levels he has reached and [we’ve] learnt what works and what doesn't work together.

"We've made some nice teams on the way. Sam is very trusting and supportive of me in making the decisions and allowing him to grow into the athlete that he has become this year. Hopefully that's just the start of it."

As coach, Stickings had the difficult job of trying to manage Reardon's Olympic expectations early in 2024 after he picked up a hamstring injury. It was a tough job and targets had to be reset but the journey ended on a high as Reardon made it to Paris and scaled the podium.

"I had to manage his frustration and disappointment throughout the year," he said. "We knew what our goals were and that we were missing them because of the injuries. We were recovering as quickly as we could but it takes time.

"Sam wanted to run the British trials but I knew he wasn't ready. We then had to manage the frustrations when we knew he couldn't get selected off the result, which was difficult because it had been such an aim we wanted to achieve together. We focused on the rest of the season and managed to turn it around, everything rolled from there. And then I suddenly had to get myself out to Paris."

Stickings was front and centre to see his athlete pick up mixed 4x400m and men's 4x400m relay bronze at the Stade de France, moments he will always look back on with pride.

"I went out for the mixed and men's relay and it was everything that I expected it to be, it was just incredible," he said. "I was going crazy in the crowd just like everybody else. It's amazing to see how he's progressed and achieved what we both set out to do. "It's amazing to help someone become an Olympian and we're excited to try and make the next one now."

Kyrsten Halley, Marketing Director of Aldi UK, supporters of SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award, said: “A huge congratulations to Sam on finishing runner-up for this year’s One-to-Watch Award, and also to his family and support team for the pivotal role they have played in supporting him to pursue his sporting ambitions.

“We know how instrumental parents, caregivers and support teams are to the future success of British sport. Over many years, they adopt a variety of roles which stretches way beyond the financial element. They may act as a taxi driver, psychologist, nutritionist, social media assistant and much, much more.

“They really do epitomise the ‘team behind the team’ and give talented young athletes the platform to flourish and be the best they can be. We are very proud to be supporting SportsAid to help parents and caregivers support young athletes in navigating their journey up the performance pathway.”

Aldi supports SportsAid, as the charity’s Official Supermarket Partner, to provide advice, insight and knowledge, both through online and in-person workshop sessions, to the parents and caregivers of talented young athletes across Great Britain.