A YOUNG athlete will be representing his school at a national competition at the end of the month.

Joshua Zeller, a student at the Forest School, Wokingham, will represent the school at the 2017 School Games National Finals.

The games take place at Loughborough University from August 31-September 7, and Zeller will compete for the South squad, a selection of athletes from southern England. 

The 16 year-old is a member of Bracknell athletics club, and trains at the Bracknell Leisure Centre. 

The School Games are widely considered to be the springboard for future athletes, especially when noted that 56 of the 382 athletes representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio competed at the School Games.

Zeller said: “I remember coming third in a race at a primary school kid’s competition, that’s when I first realised I wanted to pursue Athletics further.”

"The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Joshua,” said Ali Oliver, Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Sport Trust. 

“Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today.”