On Monday 20 May, Elaine Wyllie MBE, the founder of The Daily Mile, supported by INEOS, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards in Glasgow for transforming millions of lives all over the world.
The award recognises Elaine’s outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of children in the UK as part of The Daily Mile Foundation.
Now a global fitness revolution – as crowned by The Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards – The Daily Mile has grown into a global phenomenon, engaging over five million children in over 20,000 schools in 96 countries.
Previously recognized with an MBE for her services to the fitness of children in 2019, Elaine’s commitment to empowering children through physical activity has garnered widespread acclaim.
Elaine Wyllie MBE said: “I am hugely honoured to receive this prestigious award in my home country of Scotland where The Daily Mile started, and I am humbled to be in the company of other award winners who have shown such determination and courage.
I am grateful to the children, parents and staff of St Ninians Primary School in Stirling and to INEOS without whom The Daily Mile would never have been created and reached five million children across the world.”
The Daily Mile was founded by Elaine in 2012 out of concern for the physical fitness of her pupils at St Ninian’s Primary School in Stirling. Elaine came up with the idea to get her pupils to run, wheel, or walk for a mile around the school field every day. Within four weeks, fitness levels increased, attention and behaviour in class improved and parents were commenting on their children being more active and alert.
Since 2016, The Daily Mile has been supported by INEOS, to grow the initiative on an international scale.
Notable figures who have attended the awards in the past to celebrate Scotland’s unsung heroes include Her Majesty Queen Camilla, Brian Cox, Sir Trevor McDonald, Lorraine Kelly, and Rod Stewart.
