Carly Robertson is on track to reach her ambition to be selected to run for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.

Just three years since giving up karate because of a knee problem, the 14-year-old has slashed two seconds from her school's 800 metre record - set 24 years ago.

At the West Yorkshire School Championship in Wakefield, she secured a time of 2mins 18secs, taking second place in an almost dead-heat finish.

As a result, Carly, a pupil at Oakbank School, Keighley, will represent West Yorkshire in the English Schools Championships, in Birmingham, on July 13-14.

Carly, a member of Bingley Harriers, trains at Horsfall playing fields in Bradford.

She was with her coach Keith Daniel who has been overseeing her progress for the last year and in that period she has improved her 800 metre time by seven seconds.

He said: "She has the talent and potential to get to a high standard.

"Carly is very keen, she learns quickly and she is very dedicated, attributes which are crucial if athletes are to be successful.

"People can have all the gifts but they must be prepared to make sacrifices and put in the hours - Carly does that.

"She is learning fast how to race and adapt to circumstances - it shows she is thinking about what she is doing."

Since being selected she has gone on to shave two more seconds off her personal best at at Trafford Athletics in Manchester where she competed aginst boys and older women and came second.

Step-dad Kevin Rooke who lives in High Fell Rise, Keighley, with Carly's mum Amanda and their daughter Stacey, nine, also a member of Bingley Harriers, said: "We are very proud of her.

"She is not fully aware of her own ability but she has improved so much with Keith especially in the way she runs a race tactically."

Carly is being sponsored by Sport Keighley which is managed by John Dennis who has a five-year plan to promote young sports people and encourage more people to take up exercise.

He is seeking funding to help sponsor young athletes like Carly and road racing cyclists Tom Buck, of Keighley and Hannah Mayh, of Wilsden, both 16.

"The most important thing is to keep Carly healthy and she sees a physiotherapist regularly which can be quite expensive," added Mr Rooke.

"Funding to help those costs is paramount."

e-mail: clive.white@ bradford.newsquest.co.uk