Our CEO & former 2 times World Water Ski Racing Champion Liz Doogan-Hobbs MBE has been inducted into the World Sporting Hall of Fame.

It is a privilege and an honour to announce that Liz Doogan-Hobbs MBE , our CEO has been inducted into the World Sporting Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Antwerp, Belgium last weekend.

Liz is probably the UK’s best-known female water-skier of all time. By the age of 15, her passion and natural ability for competitive water-skiing took Liz to international level where she secured sponsorship herself to train full time and represent Great Britain. From Liz’s early days in competitive sport her motto was “first is first, second’s nowhere” a mantra that followed her through an illustrious sporting career.

Her determination to succeed stemmed from a young age. Liz suffered with asthma and, due to the severity of the condition, she was told she would never make it in sport!

A chance family holiday at the age of 9 changed her life forever. Liz tried out water-skiing and immediately discovered an affinity with the sport which, through training enabled Liz to take control of her asthma. She never looked back.

Liz became British Water Ski Racing Champion at 16 years old, a title she defended 7 times and took the European Water-Ski Racing title before her 18th birthday, a title she made her own 4 times. Liz went on to become World Water-Ski Racing Champion at 21 years old and successfully retained the title, a feat never done before. At speeds approaching 100mph on a ski, Liz showed fearless courage and determination to be the best.

Liz broke the British, European and World Speed Records and retired undefeated champion of the world!

She was nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year Award, won the Sports Writers of the Year Award and most notably was awarded the MBE for her Services to Sport by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace.

2015 saw Liz inducted into the European Waterski Racing Hall of Fame, recognising her unprecedented achievements in the sport. Her induction into the World Sporting Hall of Fame is without doubt a well-deserved honour and for Liz ‘the icing on my cake!’

Of her award she said ‘I am not often speechless, but when I received a telephone call to tell me I had been accepted into the World Hall of Fame I was truly emotional. I’m not ashamed to say I cried, a lot! It really is very special to be recognised now for all the hard work and dedication it took to become a World Champion, not only for me, but also for my racing team, without whom I couldn’t have achieved so much. My dad is so very proud, but he still says as my driver he came across the line first and beat me!’

From all of us at LHG, a HUGE congratulations on your amazing achievement.