A PRODIGIOUS young talent whose potential has been spotted by athletics legend Geoff Capes has won the Echo’s Athlete of the Month competition for August.

Sebastian Dickens, 13, from Southend, won the award after throwing a massive 13.74m shot putt at the Southend Open on Bank Holiday Monday.

It was the longest throw in the country this year and the sixth furthest ever in Britain by an under-13 athlete.

That proved to be just a warm up for Dickens who, at the City of London Open Meeting on Wednesday night, putted the shot a staggering 14.64m, which was the biggest throw ever by a British under-13 athlete.

The King Edmund School pupil, who won a pair of Skechers trainers from Runner’s Edge in Southend, was a relative unknown in athletics circles until his huge throw at Garon Park.

But he wasn’t unknown to two-time Commonwealth and European shot-putt champion Capes who got wind of his potential several months ago.

Sebastian mum Jo explains: “Geoff Capes heard through the sporting grapevine that there was a kid who was throwing the shot-putt the top end of 11m and got in contact. Now, after just a couple of months with Geoff, he is putting over 14 metres.”

Alleyn Court primary school’s PE teachers were the first to spot Sebastian’s potential when he was a pupil there.

“As one of the big kids at sports day, someone put a shot in his hand and he threw it so far that his teacher said ‘you’re not bad at this’,” said mum Jo.

Now in Year 8 at King Edmund School in Rochford, Sebastian had only really been competing in school competitions before Capes spotted him.

He now travels to Capes’ base in Grantham, Lincolnshire, twice a month for training while working on his technique the rest of the time anywhere he can –including in his own garden.

“I set my garden up so he could practice, but he has thrown a shot through my shed window, so I had to kibosh that idea,” said mum Jo.

Sebastian is not only a talent in athletics. He was actually nominated for the Echo’s Athlete of the Month award by his rugby coach Alex Knight.

“He likes his rugby,” said Jo. “He has just been made captain of his team at Westcliff Rugby Club and won the players’ player and parents’ player of the year awards last season.

“This is the first season when he’s really done both athletics and rugby. But one is a winter sport and one is an athletics sport so hopefully he can continue with both.”

* ENTRIES are now open for the Athlete of the Month competition for September. If you think someone you know deserves the award, email ryan.goad@nqe.com