DOZENS of disabled athletes have taken to a track once graced by gold medal heroes Brendan Foster, Jonathan Edwards and Steve Cram as they tried to win through to the national championships.

About 140 young athletes from 22 schools took part in the Typhoo North East Regional Disability Athletics held at Gateshead International Stadium.

The event, run by the English Federation of Disability Sport, was a qualifier for the National Junior Championships to be held next month at Warwick University stadium.

Among the young hopefuls were Andrew Lacey, from The Oaks in Spennymoor, who won the 800m and 13-year-old schoolmate Erica Dixon, who won her 200m heat.

They were joined by a team from Trinity School in Durham who were running, jumping and throwing for a place in the national championships.

Event organiser Jayne Geary from Gateshead Council, said: “It has been a real privilege to see so many young athletes compete for a place in the national finals where Team North East is defending its title.

“It is great to see the wealth of talent that the regional and national events showcase and it is a pleasure to be involved in this fun and inclusive programme."

Typhoo and national charity the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) have teamed up to ensure more disabled athletes have access to participation opportunities across England, under the banner of ‘Sports for All’.

It is the third time Typhoo has backed the charity’s work after sponsoring the Typhoo Sports for All project in 2009 and 2010 and this year the international tea company is supporting EFDS’s Disability Sport Events programme.