A sports fan who has given 50 years of her life to teaching and competing in karate has been commended as the best in Essex.

Jane Naylor-Jones, of Maldon, received the Coach of the Year award at this year’s Active Essex Sports Awards.

The awards was presented for providing the highest standard of coaching to athletes and for helping other coaches to develop.

Jane, of Chelmsford Karate Club, has competed for Great Britain both in the European and World Championships, and has coached since the age of 18.

She was born with chronic asthma, but despite that started training at ten years old, following in the footsteps of her parents and brother, who were all black belts in the discipline.

A proud Jane said: “I feel blown away to have won this award because it is actually my students that go out there and win the competitions and put in all the hard work – I just help them out in the Dojo.

“Your sport needs to be something you love to do and if you can’t get up every single day and want to do it there is a problem.

“I love karate and I can’t think of anything else I would want to do more.”

A host of Essex’s biggest homegrown sporting stars attended the awards.

Gymnast Max Whitlock, England netball captain Jo Harten and former England cricket captain Alastair Cook were all commended at Chelmsford City Racecourse, where awards were presented to promising youngsters and seasoned professionals.

Jo was awarded Sports Personality of the Year after bringing home gold from this year’s Commonwealth Games.

She said: “2018 has been the year of my life in terms of netball.

“Team England won gold at the Commonwealth Games and we competed in the Quad Series and other international events.

“Individually, I played for the Giants in Sydney and we were placed third overall in the league.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who was nominated.”

This year has also been a huge success for Jane, whose 50 years of service to her sport were recognised at the Karate Union of Great Britain National Championships in May.

She is one of only eight people to be commended.

A spokesman for Active Essex said: “In response to the Soham murders in 2002, Jane set up a dedicated class for children called the Shotokan Tigers.

“They have since produced numerous local, regional, national, European, and two world champions.

“Not only supporting the elite team, she now has a development squad to bring through younger members who are showing potential.”