5 October 2007 

Teenage athlete Nathan Woodward (Tamworth AC) has been named Midlands Regional Winner of the prestigious 2007 OCS Young Sports Person Awards. 17 year-old Nathan is the Inter-county Schools under-17 400 metre hurdles champion. 

At the World Schools under-18 championships in Greece he took a bronze medal in the 400 metre hurdles, achieving a second place on the all-time outdoor British rankings. Nathan went on to set a new England under-17 400 metre hurdles record at Birmingham in August this year.

The OCS Young Sports Person Awards celebrate sporting achievement and support young athletes across the UK.  This year is the tenth anniversary of the scheme, and Nathan will be travelling to London to collect his Award at a celebratory event at the Brit Oval.  Apart from Nathan, there will be eight other regional winners, and a disabled winner, each of whom will take home a cheque for £2,500, and a ‘Young Star’, who wins a £500 award. 

On the day OCS will announce one overall winner, who will receive a further £10,000-worth of support over three years – with £2,500 of that going to their club or school.  

“I was ecstatic.” Nathan said of winning the OCS Award: “To win out of all the people that were given the opportunity to go to an interview was amazing. It’s great recognition for all the hard work that I’ve had to put in to achieve what I’ve achieved so far. Next year my aim is to go to the World Junior Championships in Poland.  Then in 2010 it’s the Commonwealth Games, and then obviously, 2012 is the London Olympics. The support that comes with this Award will help me hugely.  It will help with getting the equipment that I need, and with my travel expenses.  I’ve actually upped my training this year, so this will be a massive help.”

A member of the World Class Talent Programme, Nathan trains four or five times each week – comprising track, weights, general conditioning and hurdle technique – and he is fortunate to receive technical assistance from 1968 Olympic Champion David Hemery.  Nathan, currently second in the Power of 10 U20 400m hurdles rankings, also helps to train other young athletes too.  He has successfully completed his Level 1 Coaching exam, enabling him to assist in coaching athletes aged 8-13 each summer.

To find out more about the OCS Young Sports Person Awards, visit www.ocsyoungsportsperson.co.uk