Leamington athletics coach receives replica to commemorate his baton relay run for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

Les Barnett carries the baton on the Stratford leg of the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Picture supplied.

A Leamington athletics coach has received a gift to commemorate his participation in The Queen’s Baton relay in the run up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games earlier this year.

Les Barnett, 81, a coach at Leamington C&AC, was selected as a baton bearer to carry the iconic sceptre - which he did on the Stratford leg of the event in July.

Since then he has been waiting with excitement to receive a scaled-down replica of the baton, which was delivered to his house this week.

Les Barnett with the replica baton he received for running pat of the Stratford leg of the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Picture supplied.

Les said: “Finally receiving the replica baton will give me a permanent memory of an outstanding "once in a lifetime experience".

“Carrying the baton at Stratford was a proud and special day.

"In addition to the people of Stratford who turned out in their hundreds, my family and members of my coaching group at Leamington C&AC came to support me.

"I met some outstanding people who had also been selected to carry the Baton through the town.

"All in all [it was] a brilliant experience.”

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In February Les received England Athletics’ National Volunteer Award 2021 for Services to Athletics.

He was one of 2,022 people chosen for the final UK leg of the 16th official baton relay, in which it was brought to 72 nations and territories.