A NORTH student has been selected to represent Britain at fencing and is helping to promote the 2012 Olympic bid.
Matthew Stewart, 16, who is taking GCSEs at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, has been picked for the English Under 18s team and this year won the Leon Paul Junior Series, in Blackpool.
He has only been fencing for three years, having become interested in the sport after a taster session.
He trains at Northumbria University, Maiden Castle and Durham School, and is sponsored by Northumbria University.
Business consultancy Accenture, which is one of the Olympic bid's corporate sponsors, features Matthew in a photographic exhibition of 14 talented young sportspeople who could take part in the 2012 games.
The exhibition, called High Performance: Olympic Dreams, will be at St James's Park, Newcastle, on Wednesday and Thursday, June 8 and 9.
The school's headteacher, Carolyn Roberts, said: "At a time when young people are being demonised by so many people, it is great to have more examples of their best achievements.
"We have so many sporting and academic heroes at Johnston who demonstrate commitment, determination and excellence. They set the standard for us all."
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