About
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Mike has been involved in Track and Field for over 40 years.
He started his athletic career at school in 1962 and made the English schools in 1964 for the first time. In 1966 he won the senior boys shot title with 57'2" a record at the time.
Over the next few years he progressed making the first ever GB Junior Team in discus in 1967. Finally he made it into the GB Senior Team in 1973 and gained a Commonwealth silver medal in Christchurch in 1974. This was the year that he reached his lifetime best of 20.43m in the shot and a year later 58.08 in the discus.
Serious injury curtailed his progress and after a year out he regained his position in the GB Team in 1977. He remained UK number 2 to Geoff Capes until the end of 1980 when Geoff retired. He was then UK number 1 and in 1982 gained a further Commonwealth Silver . He finished competing in 1986 with fifty International Caps and numerous UK titles.
From 1974 Mike has been coaching International athletes including Judy Oakes OBE, multiple sport gold medallist, Philippa Roles, Emeka Udechuku and many other stars of the throwing events.
He has also worked as a Conditioning and Strength expert over that period and advised many of the Olympic Sports in their preparation training as well as the England Rugby team.
He has also been involved in the politics of athletics for over twenty years and was recently Vice-President of UK Athletics.
As a Founder of the British Athletics Charitable Trust, he has steered that organisation to a position of stability in its activities of supporting Young Athletes and Coaches towards greater success.