A school coach has won an award for services to rowing, after his hard work coaching the British junior rowing team.

Mark Wilkinson, 32, of Windsor, who works at Windsor Boys School in Maidenhead Road, was awarded the Dante Topolski Award for Outstanding Development Coaching by British Rowing, due to his successful year of coaching international-level rowing teams.

Mr Wilkinson helped lead the British rowing team at the Junior World Rowing Championships, which ran from August 2 to August 6 in Trakai, Lithuania. The junior British team, which Mr Wilkinson helped coach, won two gold medals, a silver medal, and a bronze medal.

Mr Wilkinson directly coached the silver-medal winning boat, which included two students from Windsor Boys School. Britain came second overall in the medals tables, with Romania coming first. British Rowing said that Mr Wilkinson had played a ‘key role’ in the success of the GB junior rowing team.

Mr Wilkinson said: “The award was given to me for a combination of my work at Windsor Boys School, and my work coaching the British junior rowing team, who are at the leading edge of junior rowing in the world championships.

“We also took part in the Henley Royal Regatta for five days of rowing.”

The Windsor Boys team came first in the Fawley Challenge Cup, beating Claires Court School and Maidenhead Rowing Club to claim the prize.

“It’s been a very busy year, we’ve had over 250 boys learning to row, and some girls from other schools.”

Regarding the award, Mr Wilkinson said: “I wasn’t expecting it. I’ve worked very hard these last few years and to have it recognised by a national body is great.

“The reaction of the school and parents has been great."