At the age of 22, Loughborough College 100 metre sprint sensation Tom Young MBE has quite the medal collection.
Paralympic gold, 3 European Championship golds, an MBE, and a Para-World Championships…………….silver, but that could all change this summer.
“A good 2023 is all about July 10th, that’s the day of my event in Paris. Winning a World Championship gold. I need to be consistent and do what my coaches tell me, if I do I believe I can break the world record”
Yet another athlete to don the Team GB vest in the long successful line of Loughborough College athletes, Young had to settle for silver at the Doha World Championships in 2019. Then, aged just 19, he narrowly missed out on the top step of the podium in what was originally called a dead heat final with Zhong Huanghao, but says he’s ready to remedy that this summer.
“I’ve been calling this medal haul my own grand slam; after the Worlds I’d still need a Commonwealth Games gold but I’m really focused on training with my coach Joe and taking his advice to improve in 2023 first. Some of the drills are cold and wet in January but that’s what I need”
Young is under the watchful eye of vastly experienced Loughborough coach Joe McDonnell.
Coach Joe has a training group to be proud of with serial international medal winners on his books. Loughborough College products Libby Clegg and Sophie Hahn have imparted their wisdom on Tom as he continues to gobble up medals like pac-man in a rush.
Coach Joe says he’s purveying over a very focused professional athlete at this stage in his evolution.
“Tom will be in the best shape of his career this summer and one day soon he’ll go through that world record of 10.74. His sessions are gruelling at the moment but it’s about getting endurance into him and preparing him for Paris and beyond.”
“Tom is capable of making that record so tough it’s unbreakable.”
Young is currently studying a BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching degree at Loughborough College and admits the infectious sporting culture within the Loughborough campus always brings him back to continue his learning journey whilst striving for sporting success.
“I want to stay in education to look after my future. My tutors and lecturers are great, they’re looking after my future as an athlete and academically. I owe them a huge thank you.”
McDonnell coaches a glut of the campus’ most talented sprinters but claims his first question when they arrive at training isn’t about what they’ve eaten or how they’ve stretched that day.
“I ask them whether they have handed in their assignments yet. If they have then they’ve got a clear head for training and it shows their commitment to their studies and work ethic.”
Young competes in the T38 category which pits athletes with coordination impairments against each other and recalls his first ever medal as he looks to decorate his wall with more gold, “it was a cross country when I was 13. It was horrible because it was longer than 100 metres and I always knew I wanted to be a sprinter and achieve the same levels as my hero Usain Bolt.”