TAVISTOCK Athletic Club's Athlete of the Month is Christine Le Flem.

Christine started jogging when she was 36, and, as she says 'got good by accident.' She entered the ballot for the London Marathon and was lucky enough to get a place on her first try and ran another five times. Her best London result was finishing 12th in her age category and she also competed in another three marathons.

Nearly 20 years ago, Christine stopped running. She and her husband moved to Tavistock and Christine always read the race reports in this paper, realising that older women were regularly racing and that perhaps she was not too old to get back to the sport.

Early last year she plucked up her courage and came along to the club's beginners jogging group. After a few weeks jogging and fast walking, she was delighted when club coach Lorraine Tofield led her group across the viaduct and Christine was thrilled to find she could run all the way.

She joined the club at the end of the 10 week course, and since then has made steady and speedy progress. Since the start of the year, Christine has achieved two diamond results for her age/time, winning her age category at both the January Jaunt in Plymouth and in the Bideford Half Marathon.

She said: 'I would never have started to run again if it hadn't been for TAC.'

Without doubt Christine is a most worthy winner of the this trophy.