Talented all-rounder has no idols but is honed in on her own ambitions, writes Steve Roe

Michelle Hughes saw very little of the European Championships last month and nothing at all of the earlier Commonwealth Games. During most of the time those events were taking place Michelle was in Africa. She is hoping to one day become a surgeon so there was good reason for the 16-year-old to be spending early August in Tanzania on a medical placement.

So, her priorities elsewhere, missing the action from Zurich and Glasgow was clearly not a concern for Michelle; furthermore she has no idols in the sport “I don’t see the need to look up to star athletes,” she insists. “I don’t care about reaching their levels, because I have my own ambition.”

This, says Michelle, is to earn a place at an American university in two years’ time and study medicine. If her athletics career is over by then, however, she will be able to look back on some outstanding success for Essex, the county of her birth, and Havering AC.

Michelle’s Power of 10 profile shows her to have won medals in sprints, multi-events and the high jump. But her recent fame has been achieved in hurdling competitions.

“I don’t see the need to look up to star athletes … I have my own ambition”

Specifically, she won the English Schools 300m hurdles championships for intermediate girls when beating Hampshire’s Devon Brimecome in an absorbing contest at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. That she was able to take the gold medal – in a personal best of 43.25, too – came as no surprise to Tony Benton, her club coach.

“He was very confident I could do it,” recalls Michelle. “The thing about Tony is that he is honest. If I have a bad run he’ll be the first to tell me. When I win he keeps it simple. At Birmingham he just gave me a high-five.”

Benton is not Michelle’s first coach. After competing at various Essex championships – in 75m, 150m, discus and high jump – she joined Havering and was initially trained by Karen Knight.

“Eventually Karen left so Tony, who I’d done some hurdles sessions with, said he would take me on,” Michelle remembers. “I know I can be challenging, so I’d like to thank him for continuing to put up with me!”

This coming winter, when most of her training takes place at the Hornchurch Stadium, Michelle will turn her thoughts to 2015 and the hope of claiming a place at the World Youth Championships in Columbia. “I want to be the first of ‘Benton’s Posse’ to compete there,” she laughs.

You can find further performance stats on Michelle on Power of 10 here.

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