Max and Luella Brookes win seven athletics medals between them at County Championships

There was celebrations aplenty in the Diss-based Brookes household recently as siblings Max and Luella returned from County Athletics Championships with a combined seven medals, six of which were of the gold variety.

Max was crowned Under-13 Norfolk county champion in four different throwing events, while elder sister Luella – competing in the Cambridgeshire Championships – picked up the top prize in two events and bronze in another.

Twelve-year-old Max set new Diss & District Athletics Club records in the shot put (9.36m), discus (27.33m) and javelin (31.16m), while also throwing 33.95m on his way to gold in the hammer.

Not content with that, the Hartismere School pupil has since gone on to better every one of those records.

Mum Mel said: “Max has been working so hard and he has progressed so much over the last six months.

“He has been doing a lot more weight training and he now gets specialist training with Geoff and Lewis Capes, which has helped him a lot.

“It is more specialist-type training and hopefully that will him help get through to the English Schools, although he cannot do that until he is old enough next year."

Luella, meanwhile, came out on top in the Under-15 hammer and discus, as well as finishing third in the shot put.

That success went neatly alongside her recent exploits in the Suffolk Schools County Championships, where she won the hammer and shot put.

“It has been a tough winter for Luella but she has really focused on her training and that is really showing,” added Mel.

“She has also been training with Geoff and that event specific work has improved her a lot.

“She is working towards getting her national qualifying distance and she really is not far away from it now.”

Max and Luella are both members of Diss & District Athletics Club, based on Shelfanger Road.

For more information about the club, including how to join up and training times, visit www.dissanddistrictathleticsclub.co.uk