‘A few years ago, I pledged to myself that I was always going to try to be my authentic self, whatever happens, come hell or high water, whether it goes really well or really badly.’

The year that the Lionesses came home as champions in the Women’s Euros, securing England’s first major women’s football trophy, the SPOTY of course had to be one of the winning team. As player of the tournament and top scorer in the competition that culminated in England’s epic defeat of Germany, Beth, then 27, became the first woman’s footballer to win the coveted prize.

‘I’m incredibly honoured to win this award’, she said. ‘I wouldn’t have done it without the girls. The team have backed me. Yes, I’ve won this accolade, I’ve scored a few goals but I wouldn’t have done it without them.

‘This is for women’s sport and women’s sport heading in the right direction. Let’s keep pushing girls, let’s keep doing the right thing.’

Beth’s performance also earned her the Golden Boot at Euro 2022, with six goals and five assists – a pass that leads directly to a goal. Currently, the talented Arsenal and England player holds the impressive accolades of the most assists and most second goals scored in the Women’s Super League ever, and her international goal score for 2021-22 was 20 in 19 matches, setting a new record.

Describing her injury at the end of 2022 in excruciating detail to WH, she said: ‘I felt a bang and it felt like someone had hit my knee with a hammer – it was my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) snapping and banging both sides of my knee.’

However, rigorous rehab involving proprioception work, strength conditioning, bike conditioning, stress management and quality sleep meant that she was back on the pitch in September 2023.

‘I came on in the 88th minute,’ she said. ‘I had 35,000 people cheering me on, including my dad – this was the first live game he’d watched me since I played in the Euro final. It was so special.’

The then-19-year-old Emma from Bromley, Kent secured the Sports Personality title after she became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam – any of the four major tennis tournaments – singles since Virginia Wade in 1977.

Her US Open victory was also historic as she was the first qualifier (a player who reaches the tournament by competing rather than automatically qualifying because of their world ranking) to win a Grand Slam title since the Open Era. Notably, she also didn’t lose a single set.

She beat Olympic diver Tom Daley and swimming legend Adam Peaty, but had to give her speech from self-isolation due to testing positive for COVID after playing in Abu Dhabi.

‘Thanks to all the fans and voters – this year has been insane,’ she said. ‘The energy this year playing at Wimbledon in front of my home crowd, that was something I’ve never felt before. I’m also very happy for British tennis that we’ve managed to get this award.’

Speaking to WH earlier this year, Emma shared the surprisingly low-key way she celebrated when she got home after the US Open: ‘As soon as I [saw] my family and friends, everything felt pretty relaxed. My mum had made dumplings, and we all sat around the table chatting. I didn’t want to do anything fancy or outrageous, I just wanted to enjoy and spend quality time with people I can really be myself with.’

After taking some time to attend to injuries this year and doing gentler forms of movement like yoga and Pilates. ‘I’ve matured a lot in the last few weeks,’ she said. ‘Wellness to me now is the inner stillness I feel.’ But she is still rallying to get back on court: ‘I’m prepared to work hard and do some damage next year.’

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