'Lavern - his name will live on’

Feb 11 2008 by Katie Norman, South Wales Echo

THE memory of a murdered swimming coach will live on through a special award.

The Lavern Ritch Inspiration To Fitness Award has been created to honour the 37-year-old by Fitness Wales, the nation’s governing body for exercise.

Lavern, a fitness instructor and swimming coach, from Fairwater, Cardiff, was stabbed to death in New Jersey, USA, last August after witnessing a street robbery.

The first award in his name was collected on Saturday by Lavern’s mum Barbara, brother Tony, sister-in-law Joanne and sisters Carla and Vanessa.

Nominations for the accolade will be requested from September and henceforth annually.

Carla, 28, from Thornhill, Cardiff, was pleased her brother’s talents would not be forgotten.

She said: “Not a day goes by we don’t miss him. It’s very sad.

“I wish he was here and I wish he could see all these things that are happening for him right now.

“Obviously he can’t, but at least his name lives on.”

The Lavern Ritch Foundation has already been established to raise money to promote disabled sport in Cardiff in his memory. People who receive the new award must have demonstrated commitment and dedication within the fitness world.

Carla, who was inspired by her brother to become a swimming instructor, said the accolade reflected Lavern’s talent for motivating others.

She said: “I’m very proud of Lavern because that’s the sort of person he was. He will always be remembered for that.”

Charismatic Lavern was once voted one of the 50 most eligible bachelors in Britain by Company magazine and appeared on the ITV show Gladiators.

He was a popular and well-known personality in Cardiff, many remembering him from his six years working for the city council at Maindy Pool and Leisure Centre in the 1990s. Many others remembered him from his more recent work at the David Lloyd gym in Ipswich Road, Roath, Cardiff.

Mary Sheppard, director of Fitness Wales, hoped the award would “honour Lavern and his life”.

She said: “Whoever receives this in the future has got to be very special.

“It needs to be someone who has gone the extra mile to help motivate someone because that’s really what Lavern was so good at.

“He was a warm person. Everyone you speak to has a smile when you mention his name. We wanted to capture that and say ‘this is for people who have got that spark’.”

katie.norman@mediawales.co.uk