Cheyne is Cream of the crop
Young sprinting sensation Cheyne Cream has been plucked from Broome to take part in an elite State training squad.
The 17-year-old track and field star is the only athlete from the Kimberley to be selected in the 81-member Athletics WA Talent Identification Program.
Cheyne will travel to and from Perth to train with the State's top coaches, nutritionists and dietitians so they can do their best to sculpt him into a high-performance athletic sprinter over the next six months.
Cheyne hopes to place in the top three for his category throughout the program, with the ultimate aim of securing a sport scholarship in Perth.
"I was pretty surprised when I was contacted about joining but thought it would be a good opportunity," he said.
"Since then, I've picked up the training quite a bit and run five to six days a week."
Cheyne's recent success in both State and national competitions secured him a place on the squad.
He excelled in Sydney in the Australian Junior Athletics Championship last year, finishing sixth in the under-18 100m final.
He recorded a personal best time of 11.19 seconds on that occasion.
Earlier, he picked up a bronze medal in the WA men's under-18 relay team and silver in the under- 18 State equivalent.
Cheyne's trainer and Kimberley Athletics Club president Sam Newton holds high hopes for the athlete.
"It is great news for Cheyne to join the squad," he said. "For a young junior athlete, it is the first step into professional sport."
Cheyne has acknowledged the support of local business Broome Sports Massage, which has offered him free massages to help him get back on track after a hamstring injury last year.
