Wheelchair racing's hottest prospect, Shelly Woods, looks set for a bright future - and she aims to deliver in 2007. The 20-year-old has a new year and a new coach to start her assault on the world’s elite in her sport. Looking back on 2006, the youngster reflected: ‘It has been a really good year for me, although I have finished second quite a lot.

"Along with some great coaching from Jason Gill and hard training, I’ve had some good performances and broke a few British records along the way."

Despite her youth, Woods holds the British records for the 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres and half marathon and has already beat Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain’s most successful wheelchair athlete, on more than one occasion.

"Finishing ahead of Tanni felt great but the Canadian Chantal Petit-Clerc is the one to beat," Woods added.

Shelly is building up an impressive track record and her performances were recognised when she won the best individual female section at the British Wheelchair Sports Awards.

Woods competed in the Commonwealth Games and finished first at the Great Manchester 10K run and the Tunnel 2K International race last year. Adding this to a silver medal at the World Championships in the 800 metres and second-place finishes in the London and New York marathons and Great North Run, the youngster from Blackpool can be delighted with her year.

But she has no intentions to stop there. "2007 is all about getting as close as I can to the qualifying times for the Beijing Olympics in 2008,'' she says. ''I plan to carry on competing in the marathons for fun but, on the track, it is all about the Beijing Olympics. I want to get stronger and be able to push faster to give me the best chance I can of success in the coming years.''

Woods' performances are by no means the only side to her commitment to sport. She works part-time promoting disabled sports around schools in her area. "I talk about disability, a bit about myself and wheelchair racing to try to introduce the children to disability sport and raise its profile, " she explains.

Shelly is currently in Australia for six weeks to train and race, before the start of the marathon season, where she is hoping she can improve on her second-places finishes of 2006 and win a first major marathon.

The long-term future for Woods looks very bright and with the 2012 Olympics in London she is relishing the prospect of competing and winning 'at home'.  "In 2012 I will be 26 so hopefully I will be at the top of my game,'' she says. ''There’s a long way to go yet but to win a medal at the London Olympics would just be absolutely awesome."

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