Jo Pavey believes collecting an MBE from the Queen will be the perfect end to her surreal year.
Pavey became the oldest woman to claim gold at the European Championships when she took the 10,000m title in Zurich last summer just a few days short of her 41st birthday and only 11 months after giving birth to her second child.
The four-time Olympian also won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
"It's a huge honour for me and I'm absolutely thrilled," said Pavey. "I never thought I'd finally achieve a gold medal and it's crazy that after all those years running I finally achieved my goal when I was a busy mum.
"Everything has been a big surprise and to get something like an MBE is just another surprise - it's all so surreal.
"I'm so excited to go to the ceremony, it'll be certainly be nerve-wracking but to meet the Queen will be another huge moment for me."
Footballer Casey Stoney, who captained Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, was also awarded an MBE in recognition of her storied career, which included 118 England caps.
UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl was also among those recognised in the Queen's birthday honours, receiving a CBE for services to sport.
© Sportsbeat 2015