Joshua stars at Athletics meet

A few athletes from Lisburn were present at this meeting where all the age group champions from throughout the United Kingdom were present.

The real star of the show was a young man from Lisburn Athletics Club and pupil at Friends’ School, Joshua Armstrong. Joshua only started athletics a few months ago when he asked his grandfather to coach him in athletics. He showed an obvious potential at that time, as he hurdled over brush shafts.

Joshua has shown continuous improvement throughout the summer in this discipline, culminating in winning the Northern Ireland Championships.

Champion

Only three months later he became UK champion and voted as ‘athlete of the meeting’ at the most prestigious age group competition in the United Kingdom. Joshua set a new personal best of 12.67 seconds when winning the gold medal in the 75 metre hurdles.

Within minutes of winning the hurdles race he had to rush to the start of the high jump competition. He went on to win the gold medal in this event as well. Joshua also finished second in the 100 metre flat race.

Joshua would like to offer Jim Murray, the manager of Lisburn Leisure Centre, a huge thanks as he made the hurdles and starting blocks available to him. Without those hurdles, Joshua’s success would not have been possible.

Joshua’s biggest disappointment in athletics was when he didn’t get to meet his athletics idol and icon, Mary Peters. Unfortunately Mary couldn’t be present when he won a sports even at Pond Park Primary School, when Mary was to be there to give out the prizes.