Grissell adds QT award to haul

Ipswich athlete Alex Grissell displays his five gold medals won at the Queensland AWD Championships at QE2 Stadium.

Rob Williams

SINCE deciding to share his time between Athletes with Disabilities (AWD) events and mainstream athletics meets, Alex Grissell has made a habit of collecting medals.

After medal hauls at the Queensland AWD Championships and the Australian Junior AWD Championships, the 16-year-old has added the 2011-2012 Queensland Times Junior Sports Star Award for December to his expanding trophy cabinet.

The exciting young athlete, who attends Ipswich Grammar School, has impressed many people during his recent stellar run but few are as proud as mum Leonie.

"I'm very proud of what he is achieving," Leonie said.

"It's not easy to get up every morning and have to train but he does it.

"He started in athletics in Year 7 and has been involved at IGS for about three years, but it's really in AWD that he's come into his own."

Alex won five gold medals and set nine state and national records at the Queensland AWD Championships last September.

The multi-skilled teenager then took home three gold medals at the Australian Junior AWD Championships in Sydney, stamping himself as a future international athlete.

More recently, the Eastern Heights athlete has been given a taste of international-standard competition by competing in the prestigious invitation-only Australian Athletics Tour.

Leonie said her son was in awe of some of the competitors he lined up against in the 100 metres sprint.

"He was invited to the Brisbane Track Classic, where he ran against a number of Paralympians.

"He ran against Tim Sullivan, who is going for his fourth Paralympic team.

"He's considered one of the best AWD sportsmen in Australia, in fact the world."

The teenager also lined up against a number of experienced AWD sprinters, including Scott Reardon, Jack Swift, Mitchell Pink and Sean Roberts.

Far from being overawed, Alex finished second in the event and is hoping to receive an invitation to the Sydney and Melbourne events early this year.

Riverview rugby union player Alexander Reid won the December Senior Sports Star award.

Reid, 29, is preparing to head to the United States as part of the Queensland Outback Barbarians rugby union team.

The team will travel through the southern United States, culminating in an appearance at the famous Maggotfest Rugby Tournament in Montana.