In one of the most emotionally charged moments of the night, Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe were presented with the Helen Rollason Award at the just concluded BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 ceremony. The fathers, whose young daughters were killed in the 2024 Southport attack, received the honour from comedian John Bishop and football icon Robbie Fowler.
The award recognises outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, a testament to the pair’s remarkable journey through grief. Their daughters, nine year old Alice da Silva Aguiar and seven year old Elsie Dot Stancombe, died alongside six year old Bebe King at a Taylor Swift dance workshop last July.
Channeling their pain into a powerful force for good, Aguiar and Stancombe ran the 2025 London Marathon in their daughters’ memory. Aguiar has since embarked on a global mission, tackling the Berlin, Chicago, and New York marathons as part of a quest to complete all six World Marathon Majors. His runs raise vital funds for Alice’s Foundation, established to honour his daughter’s legacy.
“This isn’t for us,” a visibly moved Stancombe said after collecting the award. “This is for Alice, for Elsie, for Bebe, and for every family living with this pain. We run so their spirits keep moving forward.” The audience in Salford’s MediaCityUK fell silent, then rose in a sustained, heartfelt standing ovation.
The award caps a year where their quiet dignity and monumental resolve have touched the nation. While the sporting world celebrated its champions of skill and speed on Tuesday night, it reserved its deepest honour for these two fathers champions of heart, whose marathon of remembrance continues with every step they take.
