By Kieren Bushnell

FOURTEEN-year-old David Yates, from Upton, near Didcot, has been inspired by one of his sporting heroes to aim for a 2008 Paralympics berth in Beijing.

David, who has celebral palsy, has won a host of medals since taking up competitive swimming just two years ago, and already represents the South of England.

He recently met Paralympian swimmer Matthew Wood while competing in the CP Sports National Championships in Nottingham, where he swam with many competitors who took part in the last Paralympics in Sydney.

David won the 200m freestyle with a new personal best of 3.23.30, then took silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 50m freestyle.

He said: "Matthew is one of my heroes, and he told me that I should aim for the Beijing Games in 2008.

"It would be a tremendous honour just to get into the Great Britain squad, but if I could compete in a Paralympics, it would be amazing."

David's success hasn't just been limited to the national championships.

Earlier this year, he won two bronze medals in the junior nationals in both the 50m and 100m breastroke - then picked up two more bronzes in the Hampshire county championships over the 50m and 100m freestyle.

The St Birinus School student trains three times a week at Abingdon Vale Swimming Club, and once at the City of Southampton Club, who have a competitive disability squad.

And in recent weeks, the Wave swimming pool in Didcot have stepped in to help David with his training, by giving him two free swimming sessions each week.

David first took up swimming lessons at the age of five, but his first taste of the water came much earlier than that.

He was introduced to the pool by his mother at just three months old!

He competes for the City of Southampton club as Oxfordshire doesn't currently have competition for disabled swimmers.

Although he loves other sports, swimming is his passion, and he trains for up to eight hours every week.

He trains locally most of the time, but goes to Southampton once a week to qualify for the Southern region competitive squad.

In the future, he hopes to be able to compete over longer distances, and is targeting 400m events.

His next competitive target is on May 10, when he once again travels to Southampton to take part in the Southern Region Championships.

This will be an important time for the youngster, as the championships double up as the qualifying event for this year's national Open gala at Sheffield in November.

And although Beijing 2008 may seem a long time away, he has already attracted the attentions of national coaches, and has trained with the England and Wales development squad, as well as competed at Hassalt in Belgium.

He said: "Training sessions are hard, but they are well worthwhile, because I just love competing.

"The adrenalin rush I get from winning is huge, and I always enjoy myself, no matter how well I do.

"A regular place in the GB team would be brilliant. Although the Paralympics in Beijing are a long way off, and I realise I have to train and improve to stand a chance, it's certainly something I would target - it would be an incredible experience."