Pardoe wins athlete of the year at BBC Green Sport Awards

Olympic open-water swimmer Hector Pardoe was named the athlete of the year at the BBC Green Sport Awards 2025, while former Arsenal player Hector Bellerin and Formula E were also honoured.

The awards were presented to those who have shown an inspiring commitment to making a difference to sustainability in sport.

In its fourth year, the BBC Green Sport Awards ceremony took place at BBC Broadcasting House in London and was presented by former sprinter Jeanette Kwakye.

"It's fantastic to celebrate the game-changers pushing sport in a greener direction," said Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport.

"The competition this year is fierce and it shows just how much amazing work is happening to make sport more sustainable. Sport has the power to inspire, unite, and lead - and these awards spotlight those using that power to protect the planet."

• 'With power comes responsibility' - why Bellerin cycles to work
• Green Sport Awards nominees announced
• Olympian swims '3 peaks' in pollution campaign

Athlete of the Year

Winner: Hector Pardoe

Why did he win?

The 24-year-old open-water swimmer has used his platform "for something bigger than just winning a medal", speaking out about the UK's poor water quality, which has caused the Olympian and his team-mates illness and threatens the future of his sport because of the closure of open-water venues.

In August Pardoe, who describes himself as a plant-based athlete, became the first person to swim the largest lakes in England, Scotland and Wales inside 24 hours, raising awareness for pollution and funds for campaign group Surfers Against Sewage.

Global Champion

Winner: Hector Bellerin

Why did he win?

Bellerin's career-long commitment to sustainability is a shining example of athletes using their significant platform for good.

Since he fundraised to plant about 60,000 trees during his time at Arsenal, Bellerin has become the second-largest shareholder at Forest Green Rovers, the world's first carbon-neutral football club, and launched a sustainable fashion brand producing made-to-order clothing with deadstock waste.

He is chief ambassador for Forever Green, the sustainability arm of his current club Real Betis, and an ambassador for Green Football's Great Save campaign.

Pioneer

Winner: Formula E

Why did it win?

Since its inception in 2014, Formula E has been carbon neutral and promotes the use of electric vehicles by showcasing their performance.

This year, Formula E introduced the pit boost feature, an electric vehicle recharging technology that delivers a 10% energy increase via a 30-second, 600kW charge in the pit lane, a competition innovation which could supercharge the uptake of electric vehicles if rolled out globally.