Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold, of Ystrad Mynach, and public health campaigner June Thomas, of Oakdale have been recognised in the New Year’s honours.
Mrs Thomas, 49, was awarded a British Empire Medal for her fundraising efforts to get a heart defibrillator in every secondary school in Caerphilly County Borough.
In February 2012, her 15-year-old son Jack died unexpectedly from a suspected undiagnosed heart condition.
Since then, June, together with husband Grant and younger son Owain, has launched Jack’s Appeal with charity Welsh Hearts to get defibrillators into schools and has campaigned for Jack’s Law – a requirement that heart defibrillators are installed in every public building.
She also provides heart screening sessions with charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Mrs Thomas, who works for Caerphilly County Borough Council, said: “I’m deeply humbled and proud to receive this honour, that recognises, especially at this time of year, why we as a family started on this journey.
“Jack is our inspiration and his legacy will be in the hope that through heart screenings, and the availability of defibrillators in all public places, other families will not have to suffer at Christmas without their loved ones as we have.”
After getting defibrillators into all comprehensive schools in Caerphilly County Borough, the appeal was extended to include schools in Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.
She added: “We would like to thank Sharon Owen and Welsh Hearts, Cardiac Risk in the Young and their volunteers who attend sessions with me, Phil Hill for continuing his campaign for Jack’s Law, the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board for supporting Jack’s Appeal and of course our family and friends – if it wasn’t for them, we would not have been able to achieve any of this.”
Ystrad Mynach-based Hollie Arnold, 22, is a veteran of three Paralympic Games – and her gold medal-winning, world record-setting exploits in the F46 javelin in Rio last summer helped earn her an MBE for services to field athletics.
She is also twice an IPC World Championships gold medallist.
Originally from Grimsby in north Lincolnshire, Miss Arnold and her family moved to South Wales around five years ago to enable her to access coaching and take advantage of the high quality sports development opportunities available in Wales.
Speaking of her honour on Twitter, Miss Arnold said: “What a way to end an incredible 2016. I’m very honoured to become an MBE for services to field athletics.”