TASS backing has Myers in pole position
CHARLIE MYERS took a leap of faith after turning his back on a promising future in football and suddenly finds himself in pole position to taste athletics glory.
The 19-year-old athlete and Northumbria University student always dreamed of following in the footsteps of his Middlesbrough heroes and making a name for himself at the Riverside.
That was until Myers caught an athletics session during a break from football training and realised he could give the North East’s future Olympians a run for their money.
The second-year Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) student said: “I still played football until recently but I was always in the team because of my pace.
“I enjoyed sprinting and I realised I liked it more than the football!
“Once I started attending the athletics meetings I would have a go at just about everything.
“Then one day I saw the pole vaulters training and I thought I would really like to try it. So I asked around and I got my chance.”
Myers made the most of that chance and the 2018 Commonwealth Games hopeful claimed silver at the 2017 BUCS Outdoor Championships - his first major outdoor meeting of the summer season.
However, success has not come easy for the former Gateshead College student as he bids to get to grips with a demanding field event.
Myers added: “There are still times when I have bad falls.
“It is easier when you start out because the poles tend to be shorter and your run-up not as fast.”
Part and parcel of any amateur sport is the constant search for practical and financial support - and as a TASS athlete Myers benefits from both.
He said: “This is my second year on TASS and the main benefit for me is the strength and conditioning support. I work really well with my coach at Northumbria.
“There was one time when I became stressed with my academic workload - my TASS-approved lifestyle coach had a chat with me and we sorted everything out.”
TASS supports athletes across a range of sports - ensuring the next generation of top performers can combine top-class sport with the demands of higher education.
Northumbria University is one of several TASS centres across the country.