A young boxer has been honoured with an award dedicated to the memory of his best friend, a talented fighter who lost her battle with cancer.
Athena Orchard, of New Parks, Leicester, died in May, aged 13 – a few months after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone disease.
Millions worldwide were touched by the tragedy, which made international headlines after her family discovered a 1,000-word message she had written on the back of her bedroom mirror shortly before she died.
But for her friends at Leicester Unity Boxing Club, in Beaumont Leys, Athena's death has been an extremely personal and painful loss.
The club, in Holm Farm Walk, has now honoured her memory by establishing the Athena Orchard Award, for youngsters who show true character.
Head coach Ajmal 'Hudge' Butt, 45, who founded the gym in 2010 in memory of his brother, Anton, said: "Athena was a very talented young girl, who was an inspiration in our gym.
"Her loss is absolutely huge and has affected us all.
"It really hurt us, and that's why it's taken so much time since her death to do this.
"But, we wanted to do something special in her memory."
Fittingly, the inaugural award was presented to Athena's best friend, Billy Martin, at a ceremony at the club attended by Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, last night.
The 13-year-old single-handedly raised more than £1,300 to treat Athena as she was undergoing her gruelling treatment.
Billy, from Glenfield, said: "I went collecting door to door around the houses in Glenfield.
"A lot of people wondered what I was doing, but when I told them it was for Athena, they really wanted to help and were very kind and generous.
"I took a collection into my school – Brook Vale High School, in Groby – and my schoolmates and teachers helped out.
"And I also got sponsored to have all my head shaved.
"Athena lost her hair because of her treatment, and I wanted to make her feel better by joining her."
He added: "She was my best friend you see, we'd known each other since we were four.
"When I showed her the money, she went 'Wow!" and we counted it all together.
"It paid for a group holiday to Skegness, and for a shopping trip to London, where she got to meet the cast of The Only Way Is Essex on TV – she was a big fan of the programme.
"She loved it. I used to sit with her in hospital when she was ill, and I wanted to show her how much I loved her."
Other youngsters and staff at the gym raised a further £1,800 to hire a limousine and stage a disco for Athena's last birthday, and an i-Phone 5 for Christmas.
Hudge said: "Athena thought the world of Billy, and they were best friends.
"She was our family, like all the kids here are."
He added: "By starting this award, which will be presented to a young person every years, we want people to know that Athena will never be forgotten.
"She will live on in our hearts and memory – the kids and everyone else here will never forget her."
Liz Kendall MP, who presented Billy with the award, said: "Athena was an inspiration to other young people – and Billy is an inspiration too!
"He is a very special young man indeed, one of the best and brightest.
"He has showed what he's made of, and I was honoured to present the award to him."
She added: "Billy's character demonstrates what we stand for in this area."
Leicester's former British light welterweight champion, Tony McKenzie, and his brother Kelton, a former Midlands featherweight title holder, also on hand to congratulate Billy.
Tony said: "He is a really good lad. He comes here, keeps his head up and gets on with the job.
"He's got character and all the younger boxers look up to him.
"And what he's done in memory of Athena is a great thing – truly inspirational."
To find out more about the boxing club, and what it can offer young people, visit the Unity Boxing Club Leicester page on Facebook.
