Cherry has a 40-year career in staging major athletics events in the UK, starting out as one of the original team at the Great North Run in 1981 and NIKE International followed by a career at UK Athletics as Major Events and International Relations Director since 1991.

She has played a central role in the bidding and hosting of 22 global events and has been responsible for delivering UKA’s televised events for almost 30 years.

International competition roles included Competition Manager for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Cherry also operated as Event Director for European Team Championships, World Half Marathons, World and European Indoor Championships and was Managing Director for the 2017 World Para Championships and World Athletics Championships in London. Those Championships are still regarded as the ‘best ever’.

In 2019 Cherry was elected Vice President of European Athletics where she also Chairs the Event and Competition Commission and the Major Events Strategy Group.

Key Achievements:
• 2007 Voted Sunday Times Unsung Hero Award.
• 2013 Awarded an MBE for Services to Sport.
• 2017 Awarded IAAF Women’s Leadership of the Year Award.
• 2019 Awarded an OBE for Services to Sport.
• 2020 Awarded the Ron Pickering Award for Services to Sport.
• 2021 Inducted into England Athletics Hall of Fame.