A YOUNG motorbike racer who badly broke his leg in a crash is accelerating his dreams of becoming a top athlete.
Staff at Barnard Castle Preparatory School helped runner Acer Tarn regain his fitness after a dirt bike accident left him unable to walk properly.
“I fell off and my leg was stuck on the bike when another competitor fell on me shattering my shin,” recalled Acer, a Year 5 pupil, of Melsonby, near Richmond.
“I was in a cast for six months and couldn’t really walk properly, let alone run, but I had rehab in the school pool and support with my training and now I’m winning cross country races again.”
The ten-year-old was successful in recent races in Ormesby and Whitby taking first place despite being a year young in the category.
The long distance runner also has high hopes of success in the North Yorkshire South Durham Harriers League and he won the last historic Barnard Run against older competitors, missing out on the record by just three seconds.
Acer is a member of Richmond Triathlon Club and is now focussing on triathlons – which comprise running, swimming and cycling.
“I would love to compete for Team GB one day at the Olympics,” said Acer, who is a fan of Team GB’s Brownlee brothers. “It is fun competing against everyone and when you go over the line to win it feels great. I love being in a team too as we all push each other on.”
Prep School head of sport Martin Burgess said: “We have some really good runners coming through at the moment and Acer is one of the best of them. It is amazing to think how badly his leg was injured and that now he is absolutely flying.”
Acer, and his teammates from Barnard Castle Preparatory School, will compete in the U11 National Prep Schools' Cross Country Championships, at Malvern College, on Sunday, March 3, where they will race against some of the best runners in the country.
