Annie Zaidi received her BEM last week from Lord Tim Cox in recognition of her services to football coaching.
The Women in Football Ambassador and recently qualified UEFA B coach was joined at the official ceremony by Wayne Allison (FA BAME Manager) and Michael Bennett (PFA Head of Player Welfare), along with close family members.
Despite this remarkable accolade, Annie remains committed to achieving her other personal milestones. She now has her sights firmly set on passing her UEFA A licence and making a transition to professional football.
"It has been a tough journey and although it might look great to have a medal – and don’t get me wrong, it is – it has been a really hard journey to get this far with some real lows. The journey still has a long, long way to go."
Annie is supported by Saje Impact in her efforts to raise the profile of her foundation which aims to empower, inspire and encourage girls and young women to realise their potential.
The Coach AnnieZ Foundation welcomes your support to help empower, inspire and encourage the next generation of young people to achieve their goals in life. For all enquiries, bookings and donations please contact: lucy@sajeimpact.com.