This year our prize for most inspirational Father goes to Ben Helfgott, father of our Oliver Sweeney Chairman, Maurice Helfgott.



After the Liberation in 1945 Ben came to England aged 16. He went on to captain the British Olympic Weightlifting Teams at two Games: Melbourne in 1956 and Rome in 1960. Now in his early eighties Ben still completes a weightlifting routine every day training with his son Maurice when he can.

During his 2007 ‘Desert Island Discs’ interview with Kirsty Young he even chose a bar with two discs for weight training as his luxury item. A remarkable man.

Ben has inspired our limited edition Olympic weightlifting collection. The boots are based on the originals Ben wore to compete in over fifty years ago. Roma is a demi-boot blake sewn with leather soles, featuring a buckled strap to really keep your foot in place, whereas Melbourne is a lace up ankle boot with black and white contrast leather and rubber soles.