The competition was seen by over 20,000 people and received 1,024 nominations which were shortlisted and the winner voted on by the resort’s senior executive team.
Gary Horwood and his fiancée Steph Griffiths were nominated by Gary’s aunt Sharon Kamen as recognition for the couple’s efforts during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Steph is a nurse on the frontline caring for Covid-19 patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital throughout the pandemic and Gary is a keyworker for Network Rail. While both have contributed significantly to fundraising efforts, Gary also recently completed a sponsored 42 mile walk from Marylebone to Aylesbury (the route of the line he works on) to raise money for the NHS staff. Amidst the pandemic, Gary proposed to Steph on 2nd August 2020, so this holiday will be an excellent celebration of their engagement and also a well-deserved restorative break following their ongoing work.
Gary and Steph said of the prize: ‘When we found out the news we had won, we were both in shock, and thought it was a joke as we never win anything like this. It means so much to us after a year of so many ups and downs, not only for us but for everyone. We have heard that BodyHoliday is amazing for boosting wellbeing, so we can’t wait to experience it.’
Rebecca Platt, Director of Sales & Marketing for SunSwept Resorts, the owning company for BodyHoliday, commented: “It was a pleasure to award this prize to such a deserving couple. While the decision was extremely difficult with so many amazing nominations, Gary and Steph stood out from the rest due to their unwavering support for others at a time that is difficult for everyone. We can’t wait to welcome them both to St Lucia.”
