Petrofac & Kenny Herriot win Scottish Sport Sponsorship Award

Petrofac Facilities Management, the leading operations management specialist, and Kenny  Herriot, a wheelchair athlete, won the Gairich Award at the Scottish Sport Sponsorship Awards organised by sport Scotland.

The Scottish Sport Sponsorship Awards recognise excellence and creativity across Scotland’s sport sponsorship scene and acknowledges the mutual benefits that can be gained from a sponsor’s investment in sport and the successful relationship between a sponsor and the sponsored individual. The Gairich Award, for sponsorship for less than £25,000, was presented to the winners by Matthew Pinsent CBE at the awards ceremony in Glasgow. Among the competition were Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and the Sunday Mail.

Petrofac has been sponsoring Kenny, who was paralysed following an accident in July  2000, for over two years.  Twenty-three months after his accident, Kenny was competing  in Thail& in the Pattaya Marathon and came second, setting the best ever time by a Scot  and smashing the previous record by 8 minutes.

In 2001 Kenny was named Aberdeen sports person of the year and won the Dublin  Marathon on October 2001. However, lack of funds meant he had to race in a second wheelchair which was hindering further progress in the sport. Petrofac’s sponsorship helped funding for a custom-built lightweight racing chair which would enable Kenny to race and compete with the best in the world’s major competitions, thus improving in his time and develop his full potential. Since using the chair, Kenny has become Scottish  record holder in the 400 metres, 800 metres, 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres,  half marathon and marathon. The 42-year-old, is now among the top 10 veterans in the  world and is aiming to compete in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens with the continued support from Petrofac. Corinne Lea, Communications & PR Adviser comments: “Kenny’s story is one of sheer  determination. He has shown an impressive resolve and this award acknowledges his hard  work and the rigorous training he puts himself through. Petrofac takes pride in supporting Kenny’s efforts and sharing in his achievements.”