TAVISTOCK Athletic Club's 'athlete of the month' is John Windermer.

John started to run in the summer of 2009, encouraged by his daughter, Rebecca, a keen runner with the club.

Gaining fitness, he moved into the Kelly group, coached by Lorraine Tofield, and then in the spring of last year, into the Radcliffe group, coached by Dotty Allan and Wally Lake, and since then, he has never looked back!

John entered his first race on New Year's Day 2010 and has competed in five other local races during the year – The Tavy 13 Half Marathon (2 hours, 19minutes, 13seconds), Six Moor Miles, with its' start on the Moor at Yelverton (1.10.03), the Autumn Trail in Plymouth (1.18.43) and the tough Drogo10 (1.50.02).

His finest running moment to date has been in his most recent race, the Exeter First Chance 10k, when he competed with his daughter and gained a UK Athletics bronze award for his age category, finishing in 53.48.

Sheila Houghton, on behalf of TAC, said: 'John often runs his favourite Tavy Seven route at the weekend, across Whitchurch Down and through Sampford Spinney via Pew Tor, but he also trains very regularly with TAC, always pushing himself and always positive – a very worthy winner of the club award.'