Gifted young athlete Rebecca Butler is competing in the Army Cadet Force National Athletics Championships in Grantham tomorrow, Saturday, June 14th.

Rebecca, 13, a year 9 student at our school, is a member of Bishop Auckland detachment of the Durham Army Cadet Force.

She was selected to represent the North East after winning the shot putt, with a personal best throw of 8.89 metres, at the regional championships held two weeks ago at Middlesbrough’s Clareville Stadium. She also won a silver medal in the discus.

“I was really pleased to win the shot putt and also throw a personal best,” said Rebecca, who is looking forward to tomorrow’s championships where she will compete in the shot putt and discus.

Ten regions are competing including teams from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Last month Rebecca gave an outstanding performance to win the junior girls’ shot putt at the South Durham District Athletics Championships at Stadium 2000 in Shildon where her winning throw of 7.59 metres also beat the 7.25 metres thrown by the winner of the intermediate event.

She also qualified to compete in the County Championships but unfortunately the event also takes place tomorrow.

Bishop Barrington PE teacher, Linda Johnson, said: “Rebecca is a very talented athlete, she shows great potential at the shot putt and her ambition is to take part in the 2012 Olympics in London. She has a lovely personality and is very dedicated; we wish her well at tomorrow’s championships.”