ASPIRING Olympic athletes from Devon have celebrated a successful year of training at the Willand-based Excelsior Athletic Development Centre with a training session led by coach James Marshall.

He took the athletes through a series of challenging and innovative workshops aimed to stretch the youngsters’ minds and bodies at the Streatham Sports Centre at Exeter University.

Marshall, who owns the Excelsior centre, said: “I am really happy to see the progress made by these athletes over the last year. We have had five of the athletes gain their first International caps.

“But, more importantly, we have been able to support many more by getting them fitter, helping them through injury crises and improving their performance on the field.”

The Excelsior Athletic Development Centre was launched last January when Exeter-based Paralympian Judith Hamer was guest speaker.

Athlete Support Days are open to teenage sports players of any level – they just have to play more than one sport.