A YOUNG athlete has overcome a debilitating condition to qualify for his second world championships.

Michael Turnbull, 20, will travel to Germany next month to compete in his second World Biathle Championships.

The achievement is remarkable for an athlete who suffered from ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, at 16.

After making a promising start to his career, Mr Turnbull was diagnosed with the illness that kept him on the sidelines for nearly a year.

Now the Newton Aycliffe athlete, who studies at University College Chester, has made a full recovery and says his preparations for the world championships have gone well.

The competition, being held in Marktoberndorf, Germany, on September 4 and 5, consists of two 1,500-metre runs, with a 200-metre swim in between.

Mr Turnbull also competes in biathlons (involving a swim and run), duathlons (run, cycle ride, run) and triathlons (swim, cycle ride, run).

The event will be his second world championships this year. In May he travelled to Geel, in Belgium, to compete in the World Duathlon Championships.

After competing in Germany, he is looking towards the European Duathlon Championships in Swansea on September 25 and 26.