Hard work pays off for Stokes (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Hard work pays off for Stokes

1:41pm Tuesday 17th July 2012 in Stuart Stokes

STUART Stokes inists he will savour every moment of his Olympic adventure after admitting he thought the dream was dead just four years ago.

The Chorley teacher suffered heartbreak when he missed out on qualification for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, having also suffered disappoint-ment for the Sydney and Athens games.

Stokes subsequently quit athletics but the desire to compete for GB in 2012 saw him return just a year later, and he is now preparing for the 3000m steeplechase.

The 35-year-old is the oldest male athlete in Team GB’s track and field team and admits his selection has made the years of hard work all worth it.

He said: “This is my reward for slogging it out for 20 years and I’m going to make sure I enjoy every single minute of it. It has been such a long time coming.

“My body is in pieces and I am patching it up every day. But I can’t wait for it now.”

Stokes is a geography and PE teacher at Holy Cross Catholic High School and has competed in the Commonwealth Games for his country.