Gold for Bristol sprinter just 18 months after taking up athletics
Leon from Bristol picked up a gold medal at the National Junior Athletic Championships, just a year and a half after taking up the sport.
A 17-year-old from Bristol picked up a gold medal at the National Junior Athletic Championships just a year and a half after taking up the sport.
Leon powered across the line to win the 100m at the event, which saw disabled young athletes from across the country compete at the University of Warwick Athletics Track in Coventry at the weekend.
Saturday (1 July) was the first time he had competed at the high-profile competition, this year supported by People’s Partnership. Leon took everything in his stride describing how he was “pretty pleased” with his performance.
Had it not been for the coronavirus lockdown he may never have found his passion for athletics. He said:
"I was looking for something to do during the lockdown. I always did quite well in PE at school, so I did some searching online and found a programme where I could show them what I was made of. From there I’ve enjoyed the sport more and more.
"Since taking up athletics the last one and half years have been the best time of my life."
The weekend also saw two sets of twins pick up a staggering 12 medals between them as more than 140 young disabled athletes competed over two days. Youngsters from across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland took part in more than 60 races and 20 field events.
Sport England’s Chair Chris Boardman was watching on Saturday alongside Coventry’s Paralympic star Kare Adenegan.
Kare visited the track to cheer on competitors in a championships that she previously competed at as a junior.
She said:
"It was always an important part of my season. Even though I had things like World Championships to go to as well, this event was always really important for me to come to and put times down."
You can find all results by clicking here.
