Featured Athlete: 
Sam Moran, Thrower and Junior Athlete of the Year 2001.

Tell us something about yourself.  I am 13. I live in Marshside near the Sand Plant and I go to Stanley High School where I am in year eight. My favourite school subjects are maths because I find most of it easy, also PE because it is a lesson where most of the times you get to mess around. My least favourite subject is History because I don't think that I am good at it but most of the time I have a very high standard of work. I am mostly shy when I meet someone new but as soon as you get to know me you can't shut me up! I am very tall and have very big feet for my age.

How did you get into athletics?  I got into athletics when I was made to go along with my younger brother, Tom, to Edge Hill. We had no idea where to go. We went towards the main building (because we didn't know Liverpool Pembroke Sefton was there as well). When we got there they turned us away, (but now they want me!) We then got directed to Southport Waterloo. When Graham asked me what I wanted to do I told him javelin, but Graham being Graham he made me do shot, because he needed someone then for the McDonald's Young Athletes League. When I tried it I found out I was quite good.

What events do you do now? My main events are shot, where I got a Grade One in my first year, javelin, discus and hammer. Sometimes I do I bit of running and long jump too. And I do a bit of volunteering as well at events run by the club such as the Southport & District School's XC Champs.

Do you prefer some events to others?
Not really, but if it came down to constant performance I would have to go with shot, because I got a Grade 1 last year.

These events are quite technical. Do you find some easier than others
I would say shot and discus are the easiest, because all you have to do is throw either a big metal ball or basically a metal plate. Hammer is hard because if you don't get it right you might lose your head! Javelin is hard because you have to get everything right to get a good throw in or just to get it to land.

Who is your coach? I have many coaches. The first one is Ron Scott at Greenbank High School, Tina sometimes at Edge Hill when I run, Bob Welfare (Preston throws coach) and thanks to Merrick and Jim, of Pembroke Sefton for helping me at shot and discus. I do quite a lot of training, with sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday each week.

What else do you do in your spare time?  In my spare time I do something which most people would call sad, and most of the time I think that too! The thing I do is go and watch Southport FC play. And for you people who have never heard of them they are in a league 4 below the Premiership and 3 behind Preston.
I also like programmes like Scrapheap Challenge, Junkyard Wars on TV. I also watch Neighbours because it is very surprisingly unlike Coronation Street. Other programmes like Never Mind the Busscocks, They Think its All Over and Have I got News for You make me laugh.

I understand you are also interested in computers. What's that all about?
When my dad got our first computer years ago, I was just fascinated by what it could do because it could do numerous things at once. Even though it was a 486, which for you people out there who don't know what it is, I will just say it is very, very slow compared to the computer I have now, which is 700 mhz I would eventually like to build a website as good as ours.

Coming back to athletics, what are your best performances?  My best performance ever was getting a Grade One in Shot in my first year with the club - and anybody who knows me knows that I worked really hard to get it. Well, now I am an U15 in the first year of the age group. I have already (by May 2002) got a Grade 3 in shot with 10m 80, and PBs in javelin -33m 41, in discus -27m 66 and in hammer -24m 10. I wouldn't class it as a win but last December I was pleased to be awarded the Most Improved Athlete of The Year / Junior Athlete of the Year last Christmas.

What does winning mean to you? Winning a normal open meeting is just like winning my first ever competition. Winning an event gives me the same amount of pleasure/enjoyment every time.

Finally, what are your athletics ambitions?  My athletics ambitions are to get a Grade One in all of my events. I personally don't feel that is out of range because no one expected me to get a Grade One last year when I came in to the season with a PB around 7m. I also want to win the Northern Champs at Manchester Commonwealth Stadium (in fact, Sam came 2nd in the shot and set a new discus PB in Manchester so was happy with his performance and happy to take part in competition in the new stadium - Ed) and go to English Schools next year and win there.

Thanks Sam.

Other interviews:
John Burnett, Sam Moran, Graham Pilkington, Helen Taylor, Rick Bowker, Adam Chandley, Sue Cooper, Paul Record Rob Berry Rhea Ellis Norman Marshall Eddie Simpkins James Armstrong