An 11-year old girl has been named Canary Wharf’s ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ after winning golds for diving.

Scarlett Mew Jensen couldn’t even dive off the edge of the pool just three years ago.

But that didn’t stop the primary schoolkid from London’s East End getting two gold medals on one-metre and three-metre boards at the 2012 GB National Diving Championships.

She also won two silvers at her first international diving event in Sweden.

Scarlett, a pupil at Bethnal Green’s Bonner Primary, was named top sports personality at last night’s 12th annual Canary Wharf sports awards held at the East Wintergarden.

She took up diving when she was eight and was unable to dive off the edge, let alone a 30ft high platform.

Scarlett juggles her studies with 14 hours of training every week at Crystal Palace. Her Chinese coach rates her on a par with Tom Daley at that age—with potential to join Team GB for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The ‘Junior Team of the Year’ award went to Tower Hamlets’ Girls FC which won the London Youth Games Girls Football title and the MTG Champions Cup. They also defeated West Ham United’s women’s team and represented the UK in the MTG International tournament, narrowly losing the final to Sweden.

‘Senior Team of the Year’ was Bethnal Green’s Helvecia club who have been Futsal English National champs since 2008 and holders of the FA Cup, ranked in the top 25 clubs in Europe.

The ‘Group Achievement’ award went to the Docklands Sailing & Watersports centre on the Isle of Dogs, run for youngsters from all backgrounds to get into sailing and other watersports.

Canary Wharf Group’s secretary John Garwood said: “East London had an amazing 2012 hosting the Olympics, the greatest sports event in the world. The challenge for the next generation is to harness the spirit of 2012 and carry it with them to be the best.”

The awards encouraging sporting participation in London’s deprived East End were attended by 340 sports personalities, administrators and dignitaries, including former East End MP and recent ‘Dancing on Ice’ performer Baroness Oona King.