AWARD winner Ellen Ranklin has admitted that hearing just how much volunteering she does in increasing sporting participation left her feeling wowed.

The Lochgelly High School pupil, 17, was honoured on Wednesday evening at Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council's annual awards for 2019, walking off with the Schools Ambassador of the Year prize.

An Active Schools Fife initiative, the Young Ambassador Programme includes selected pupils from each of the Kingdom's secondary schools to receive "comprehensive leadership experience within sport, education and community settings", who also gain a vast range of skills based on the promotion, motivation and inspiration for young people in sport.

Ambassadors such as Ellen, who was nominated for the award alongside Beath High School's Peyton Brown and Mia McLean, and Queen Anne's Keira Porter, also sign up to the Saltire Award, a nationally recognised awarding body for volunteering hours.

A self-confessed lover of sport, the S6 pupil, who also competes in athletics for the Dunfermline Track and Field Club, and in volleyball, was chuffed to be recognised but said she had no idea of the time she puts in volunteering at her school.

Speaking at the awards, she said: "I'm really pleased. After seeing all the hours that I've done being said out loud, it was like, wow. I didn't realise I'd actually done that many hours after the whole year, so it was actually quite surprising to hear it all read out!

"I know I had done lots, but I didn't realise I'd done that much and helped so many people do sport, which is what I really want to do, so it was really good to find that out.

"Particularly (working) with Active Schools it's definitely been netball, and trying to get as many girls into sports has been a bit target that I've wanted to do throughout the year.

"I love sport, so to have other people taking part and doing that is amazing. I can't ask for more to be fair."

Alongside netball, Ellen is just as passionate about athletics and volleyball, and aims to keep them up if she achieves her goal of going to study either physiotherapy, sports coaching or teaching at university in Edinburgh.

"I do compete in athletics; I competed for Scotland last year in the combined events," she added.

"For me, my main sport at the minute is volleyball. I was supposed to be going to Italy but, sadly, the coronavirus kind of stopped that. I'm hoping to go to Iceland in June, competing with the under-19s national team, so that's my next aim.

"I'm waiting for university replies now, so I'm quite excited for those! I'm planning on keeping up athletics and volleyball when I go there - and, if they have something new, I might try a new sport!"