For one passionate 16-year-old, the hammer event could be just the ticket to secure her place at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

RICHARD MENNEAR caught up her.



KAYLEIGH Mills is not like most teenage girls.

The Hartlepool youngster combines studying for her A-levels with intensive training sessions as she continues her quest for glory.

The English Martyrs Sixth Form College student struck gold earlier this year when she became the first town female for 40 years to become an English Schools champion.

What made her achievement even more remarkable is that she only took up the sport in October last year.

Kayleigh, who turns 17 in February, said: "I don't look like your average hammer thrower and sometimes my family laugh and joke about what I do, but they are very supportive and always encourage me to do well."

The talented youngster lives in Saltaire Terrace, Greatham, with mum, Joanne, 36, and 55-year-old dad, Dave.

Kayleigh, who has a step brother, Steven, 22 and step sister, Nicola, 26, thanked both parents, who teach at the Venerable Bede Church of England School, in Sunderland, and her grandparents for helping to achieve her dreams.

Talented Kayleigh, who also plays the acoustic and electric guitar, said: "My family have been fantastic and they drive me everywhere.

"Thankfully my training doesn't cost too much because I receive funding through the North East of England team."

The Olympic hopeful has shown that she can juggle her studies with her hammer throwing after achieving a total of 14 GCSEs at A* to C level at Manor College of Technology, in the summer.

The youngster, whose top throwing distance for the 4kg hammer is 47 metres, has had to manage her time well during her GCSEs.

"You just have to find the time to study and train. I made a list of when my exams were and when I should revise, and then trained around it.

"It is tough but it has been very rewarding."

She is now at the Catcote Road college studying biology, maths, chemistry and P.E.

When she is not studying hard she is training with her club mates at Middlesbrough Mandale Athletic Club, where she has been a member for almost a year.

"The hammer season runs between March and August so at the moment I have just started my winter training, which involves a lot of gym work, in the build up to hopefully joining the Great Britain team at the Youth Europeans next summer.

"The level of competition at the club is really high and we take on a lot of new members who seem to take it up really easily. That keeps me on my toes and encourages me to train harder.

"I only started hammer in October last year and before that I did javelin for two years. The coaches encouraged me to try the hammer and I have been doing that ever since."

Hammer is not the most glamorous of sports but like any other it takes an incredible amount of dedication to become the best.

"It does take a lot but I'm quite lucky because I am really focused on what I do. I don't see my friends as much as I would like because I train two to three times a week," added Kayleigh, who has ambitions of becoming a P.E teacher.

The teenager struck gold at the 2008 Sainsbury's English Schools Track & Field Championships, at Gateshead's International Stadium, in July, with a massive throw of 46.75 metres in the under-17 category.She went on to represent England in the British Schools Championship, in Bedford, winning bronze.

Kayleigh has also competed for the North East England in the UK School Games, which were held in Bath last month. The elite competition is a Government-run event, aimed at identifying potential gold medallists for the 2012 Olympics, in London.

Kayleigh's passion for the hammer increased over the summer while watching the Beijing Olympics, including Hartlepool's swimming sensation Jemma Lowe.

"It was great watching the Olympics on the television and it gave me a better understanding of what it is going to take to reach the top.

"The top five women were consistently throwing 70 metres and it really is a different level.

"I would love to compete at the Olympics and that is my dream but I don't think I will be able to do enough competitions before then.

"The Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow in 2014 is probably a more realistic target for me. Seeing Jemma compete in Beijing was inspiring and she is a great role model and because she is from Hartlepool, you know anything is possible."