Prince Michael Award of Merit
presented to doctor who transformed motor sport’s
medical service
Mr Kenneth Walker, who has dedicated over 40 years leading
improvement and change in medical services in British motor
sport, was presented with the Motor Sports Association’s
Prince Michael Award of Merit last night, Thursday 10 February
2005 at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London. Mr Walker
received his award from His Royal Highness Prince Michael
of Kent himself.
The Prince Michael Award of Merit is the Motor Sports Association’s
most prestigious individual award. Although the Motor Sports
Council (the sporting commission of the Motor Sports Association)
has the power to make this award annually to a maximum of
two recipients, it is only given out when ‘a meritorious
service to British motor sport’ is judged to have been
served.
Mr Walker, an eminent orthopaedic consultant surgeon, has
been a volunteer motor sport medic in Britain since the Sixties.
In that time he has been largely responsible for major advancements
in medical facilities at British motor sport venues and the
improved training of event doctors.
On receiving the award from HRH Prince Michael, Mr Walker
said: “I’ve no idea why I’ve been nominated
for this. Improving medical facilities in motor sport is an
on-going process and not just the work of one person. This
award must, therefore, be seen as the result of a very fine
team effort.”
Mr Walker, from Virginia Water, Surrey became involved in
motor sport by chance in the early Sixties when he was invited
to take up a medical officer’s role at Brands Hatch
by a fellow doctor who had interviewed him for a job. Since,
he has been a prime mover behind many improvements to trackside
safety and medical services. During the last 40 years he has
held a number of positions, including that of Chief Medical
Officer of the British Racing & Sports Car Club, the British
Formula One Grand Prix and Britain’s round of the World
Rally Championship, Chairman of the MSA’s Medical Panel
and as a member of the MSA’s Motor Sports Council.
Mr Walker added: “I was instantly hooked by motor sport,
but horrified at the lack of medical facilities and the fact
that people could quite regularly perish or be seriously injured.
There wasn’t even a medical vehicle and whereas today
we have all kinds of specialist equipment and drugs on hand,
back then there was just a bag of salt water and a grass bank.
I asked myself why and looked into trackside structure. For
example, we couldn’t put out fires so looked at how
to put them out or have the fuel contained. Marshals wore
these very ineffective aluminium fire suits that gave them
a minute to do the job before they flaked out. A lot of things
were quite obviously bad and had to be changed.
“Perhaps the toughest change to get through was the
response time of medical crews to reach and start treating
injured drivers. It’s now inside three minutes –
anything over that and a driver with a blocked airwave will
suffer irreparable brain damage. Before, 50 per cent of deaths
were due to an obstructed airway so getting this changed was
quite an achievement. We’ve saved a lot of lives.”
Mr Walker has also been largely responsible for major improvements
in medical facilities at circuits and on events, with the
regular setting up of inspections – passing is imperative
to a venue’s operating permit. He has helped shape training
programmes for rescue teams and medics and worked closely
with 2002’s Prince Michael award winner Tony Reynolds,
the President of the British Motor Sports for the Disabled,
in opening up the sport to disabled competitors.
“There are so many simple things that we’ve put
right over the years: fire marshals around the track, rescue
units, fast medical cars and so on. It’s come on quite
a lot since sitting there on South Bank at Brands Hatch in
the Sixties,” said Mr Walker.
Dr David Cranston, currently Chairman of the MSA’s
Medical Panel, has paid tribute to Walker, likening him to
legendary doctor Sid Watkins who in the last 30 years has
transformed medical facilities in Formula One. Dr Cranston
said: “Ken has done for British motor sport what Sid
Watkins has done for F1. I’ve always seen him as a mentor
and everyone involved in providing medical services at motor
sport events has looked up to him as a leader. Every competitor
out there has also got a lot to thank him for. Ken will be
the first to deny it, but he richly deserves this award. He
is a first class guy.”
Editors’ note: The terms of the Prince Michael Award
of Merit are well defined and strictly adhered to in considering
nominations. The qualification of ‘meritorious service’
encompasses the following definitions: distinguished services
or significant contribution to British motor sport; outstanding
achieving in British motor sports; a conspicuous or exemplary
act of bravery or courage or heroism while competing in or
officiating at a British motor sport event. People ineligible
to receive this award are: current members of the Motor Sports
Council; directors and staff of the Royal Automobile Club;
directors and staff of the Motor Sports Association; those
who earn or who have earned their living principally through
motor sports.
The previous winners of the Prince Michael Award
of Merit are:
1991 Jack Romain
1992 Tony Bird
1993 Peter Cooper & Tony Fletcher
1994 John Felix & George Hall
1995 Brian Molyneux
1996 Tom Dooley & Dick Newsum
1997 Alec Rivers-Fletcher & Donald Grieve
1998 Michael Fenwick & Keith Douglas
1999 No award
2000 Bob Rae
2001 No award
2002 Tony Reynolds
2003 No award
2004 Mr Ken Walker
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