Pride of the borough Keely Hodgkinson recognised with Believe Star

Pride of the borough Keely Hodgkinson recognised with Believe Star

Athlete Keely Hodgkinson is the latest recipient of a Believe Star, recognising her amazing sporting achievements on the global stage.

The Atherton-born 800m specialist has placed Wigan Borough on the map in recent years having secured medals at Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European competitions.

Her Believe Star was unveiled outside Leigh Town Hall on Thursday, May 18.

The Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux MBE, said: “Keely has amassed an astonishing career record to date.

“It has all been achieved through hard work and dedication, making her an inspirational role model for our proud borough.

“We feel so lucky to have been able to witness Keely’s success and to have made a small contribution to her journey through our Believe Talent Fund and we’d like to congratulate this amazing athlete on receiving a coveted Believe Star.”

At the delayed 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo, Keely broke Kelly Holmes’ 26-year-old British record, scooping a silver medal in the process.

In 2022, she struck gold at the European Athletics Championships.

The star will sit proudly outside Leigh Town Hall alongside a star for Keely’s coaches, Joe and Margaret Galvin, who received the accolade last year, prior to Joe’s passing in March 2023.

Keely said: "I feel very honoured to be recognised for my hard work and achievements, especially as it's in my local borough.

“To have a star in the ground, that might remain for a long time to come, is absolutely amazing and hopefully, it could help inspire other young people to believe they can get one too."

The star was laid outside Leigh Town Hall in a ceremony attended by Keely’s family and friends and council representatives.

On International Women’s Day this year, footballer Ella Toone was announced alongside Keely as the latest household name to receive a star with a ceremony scheduled to take place later this year.

Previous recipients of the star include fellow sporting icons John Woods and Alex Murphy OBE plus community workers including Pam Gilligan from Compassion in Action.