Brave Lucy up for award

Brave mum Lucy Gale risked her life to save two drivers who crashed on a level crossing as a train hurtled towards them .
Lucy Gale from Kirk Smeaton. Awarded a silver Royale Human Society medal for rescuing drivers who had crashed on a level crossing in Hensall.
p5230a120Lucy Gale from Kirk Smeaton. Awarded a silver Royale Human Society medal for rescuing drivers who had crashed on a level crossing in Hensall.
p5230a120
Lucy Gale from Kirk Smeaton. Awarded a silver Royale Human Society medal for rescuing drivers who had crashed on a level crossing in Hensall. p5230a120

Miss Gale won a Pride of Britain award and a Royal Humane Society’s silver award in 2011 for her actions saving the lives of two motorists in Hensall in May 2010.

And now the 35-year-old has been nominated for a Yorkshire Women of Achievement Award.

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The Kirk Smeaton mum ran onto the tracks to help pensioner Mary Schneider and a second motorist, Kelvin Brook – pulling them to safety just seconds before a 22-wagon coal train roared past.

She then moved both vehicles off the track.

Her nomination for the achievement award in the ‘courage’ category came from best friend Joanne Moore, who described her as “an incredibly humble person.”

Miss Moore said: “She could have died but she thought only of the other people involved.”

Speaking about the nomination, Lucy said: “I feel honoured and very surprised to have been nominated for this award as it’s here in my home town.

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“I’m Yorkshire through and through and don’t believe there is a better place in the UK to live.

“I won the Pride of Britain award as a panel of celebrity judges deemed my story to be worthy.

“I have no idea who nominated me for that but am proud to be one of the select few to have won such an accolade”.

The Women of Achievement Awards will be held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Friday.

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The event, which is now in its 28th year, helps raise thousands of pounds for the Leeds-based Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.

There are five award categories – Yorkshire Woman of Achievement in Business, Education, Sport, Young Achiever of the Year and the Jane Tomlinson Award for Courage.

One of the five winners will be named the Overall Yorkshire Woman of Achievement 2014.

Last year’s overall winner was Kate Granger, from East Ardsley, who is living with terminal cancer but continues to work and speak publicly about her illness.

Nominations for the awards have closed but tickets to the event are still available.

For more information visit www.sueryder.org/YWOA