A YOUNGSTER with learning disabilities has beaten all the odds to be nominated for a top sporting honour.

Brave Graham Dunham, aged 17, from Guiseley, has been nominated for the Young Boy Achiever Award after a string of athletic achievements during the last year, including winning three gold medals at the Disability Sport England Finals.

The Greenmeadows School pupil will find out if he is a winner in his categories at the

prestigious annual Yorkshire Electricity PowerPlay Awards Dinner on Saturday at Elland Road, where sportsmen and women across Yorkshire will be honoured.

A number of sporting celebrities, including Leeds United players, are likely to be

present.

Proud mum Christine said: "He will always be special to me because he is my son, but what he has achieved in the field of running in just 18 months makes me very proud.

"He has always been interested in sport, but it took off when someone from the Skyrak running group saw him at school and advised the head master to get him to go along to their meeting, which he has."

Graham returned to Guiseley from running with the disabled England team in Portugal on Monday night - and brought home a bronze medal. He will be racing again on Sunday in a bid to qualify for the team's trip to Tunisia in June.

"I don't think he will be too disappointed if he doesn't win an award on Saturday, he's done so well to be nominated," said Christine.

"He's looking forward to meeting some celebrities, although we don't know who's going to be there yet, and going to Elland Road especially.

"He's a typical independent 17-year-old, despite his learning disabilities. He doesn't even want me to go!"

Regan Cooper, community affairs manager at Yorkshire Electricity said that Graham was a worthy nominee.

"Our sponsorship of PowerPlay, the Federation of Disability Sports Organisations regional sports development programme encourages the participation of people with disabilities at all levels.

"The awards are a way of celebrating the achievements of everyone involved in the scheme and give the chance to honour those that compete and coach at the highest level."