Sheffield’s ‘Captain Tobias’ tops off amazing year in style with BBC Young Unsung Hero nomination

Tobias Weller, the Sheffield boy who shot to fame this year with his athletic exploits, will top off a remarkable year in style tonight when he is named among the nominees for the inaugural ‘Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero’ Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
By Dan Hayes
Published 20th Dec 2020, 14:49 BST
Updated 20th Dec 2020, 14:50 BST
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The nine-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and autism, captured people’s hearts this year by completing not one but two marathons in the streets around his Beauchief home, raising £150,000 for his special school Paces and Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he goes for treatment.

‘Captain Tobias’ as he became known in honour of the inspirational World War Two veteran Captain Tom Moore who raised millions of pounds for the NHS by walking around his Bedfordshire garden, is joined on the shortlist by four other extraordinary youngsters from across the country.

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The award will be given out as part of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, the annual year-ending celebration of the best of British and world sport, with the programme due to air from 8pm tonight on BBC One.

Nine-year-old Tobias Weller, from Sheffield, who has cerebral palsy and autism, completes the final leg of a 26.2 mile total of a walk he has called his "ginormous challenge", to walk a marathon using his walker during the lockdow (photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire).Nine-year-old Tobias Weller, from Sheffield, who has cerebral palsy and autism, completes the final leg of a 26.2 mile total of a walk he has called his "ginormous challenge", to walk a marathon using his walker during the lockdow (photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire).
Nine-year-old Tobias Weller, from Sheffield, who has cerebral palsy and autism, completes the final leg of a 26.2 mile total of a walk he has called his "ginormous challenge", to walk a marathon using his walker during the lockdow (photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire).

Elite awards will be given out for the team of the year, the coach of the year and the world sports star of the year as well as the overall Sports Personality of the Year award voted for by the audience.

An ‘Unsung Hero’ award has been given out for several years already, but this year, for the first time, the ‘Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero’ award will also be presented to a young person who has kept others active or raised money for good causes through physical activity.

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Related topics:SheffieldTom MooreSheffield Children's Hospital