Mike was educated in Brighton at Varndean Grammar School, graduated in double honours at Southampton University, advanced to research for three years and then moved to London to start his science and IT career, at the same time progressing rapidly at his chosen sport..
Mike sport is most particularly, Track and Field in which he has competed , coached and administered for over 40 years. He started his athletic career at school in 1962 and made the English schools in 1963 for the first time. In 1966 he won the senior boys shot title with 57'4 1/2" a record at the time.
Over the next few years he progressed making the first ever GB Junior Team in discus in 1967. Finally he made it into the GB Senior Team in 1973 and gained a Commonwealth silver medal in Christchurch in 1974. This was the year that he reached his lifetime best of 20.43m in the
shot and a year later 58.08 in the discus.
Serious injury curtailed his progress and after a year out he regained his position in the
GB Team in 1977. He remained UK number 2 to Geoff Capes until the end of 1980
when Geoff retired. he was then UK number 1 and in 1982 gained a further Commonwealth
Silver . He finished competing in 1986 with fifty International Caps and numerous UK titles.
From 1974 Mike has been coaching International athletes including Judy Oakes OBE,
multiple sport gold medallist, Philippa Roles, Emeka Udechuku and many other stars
of the throwing events. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Mike coached his latest discus
star, Tom Norman and at the Masters European Championships, Eleanor Gatrell struck gold in both shot and discus.
He has also worked as a Conditioning and Strength expert over that period and advised
many of the Olympic Sports in their preparation training as well as the England Rugby team.
He has also been involved in the politics of athletics for over twenty years and
amongst other roles was Elected Vice-
As a Founder of the British Athletics Charitable Trust, he has steered that organisation
to a position of stability in its activities of supporting Young Athletes and Coaches towards
greater success. As the new Chairman he has led the involvement of Met-
allowing the successful Lottery application to move forward.
His most recent project is to develop an ’Elite Throws Academy’ to establish a flourishing
legacy, in Brighton and Lewes, and developing a lasting partnership with the Daley Thompson
Academies, Brighton University, Brighton College and Lewes, Brighton, Crawley, Woking
and many more athletics clubs in the South East, as well as the regional England Athletics
club Network.
