Ben Gregory Article (UK)

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http://www.aylesburytoday.co.uk/ViewArt ... id=1069466

BEN VAULTS TO WELSH TITLE
(WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29) TALENTED Aylesbury athlete Ben Gregory became a national pole vault champion - just a year after taking up the athletics discipline.
Ben, 14, beat off the cream of athletes to win the under 15 title in the Welsh National Championships at Cardiff with a jump of 3.40m.
The Vale of Aylesbury athlete, who qualifies for Wales through his father, also won silver and bronze medals in the javelin and 80m hurdles respectively.
"He was thrilled," said proud mum Lorraine. "To stand on the podium and get a gold medal for Wales was wonderful."
Ben, a pupil at Aylesbury Grammar School, only took up pole vaulting last summer after attending a course at Birmingham University.
His progress in the discipline has been swift as he was already ranked No 1 in Wales before last week's championhips.
He also threw more than 44m and ran 12.5secs to win javelin and 80m hurdles medals in Cardiff.
He has also reached the qualifying mark for pole vaulting to allow him to compete in the All England Schools Championships in Birmingham next month.
Mum Lorraine explained that his success in Cardiff was not totally unexpected: "With access to the rankings on a variety of websites, he always knew that he was top of the pole vault rankings, so perhaps he should have won that one.
"With the javelin and hurdles, he wasn't so high (in the rankings), so he was really pleased at how well he did. He expected to get a medal in the pole vault; the other medals were a bonus for him."
Ben, who has been doing athletics with Vale of Aylesbury since he was eight, has a long-term aim to represent Great Britain at senior level.
He is also a very good rugby player with Aylesbury Rugby Club and has aleady won county honours.
Mum Lorraine explained: "At the moment he's doing very well in athletics, but he also loves rugby and is doing well at that as well.
"I think at some point in the future he'll have to make a decision whether to go with athletics or to go with rugby. At the moment he loves doing both and doesn't want to have to make a decision."
Mum Lorraine said Ben had worked very hard for his success: "We're very proud of him. He's worked very hard. He trains winter, summer, rain or shine. Nothing stops him.
"He deserves the success he's had because he's put so much effort in."
29 June 2005