AN A-Level student from Westhoughton is preparing for the biggest sporting challenge of his life after winning a place in Great Britain's Paralympic team.

Steven Leigh is heading for Athens in September after impressing British selectors with his performances in the 800m.

While his fellow sixth-form students at Rivington and Blackrod High School will be starting a new academic year, 16-year-old Steven will be in Greece with athletes such as Tanni Grey-Thompson trying to boost Britain's Paralympic medal haul.

Qualification is a remarkable achievement for Steven, who will be the second-youngest of Britain's 36 Paralympic athletes in Athens.

He is 39 days older than the youngest, discus thrower Clare Williams, from Camarthen, Wales.

Steven, who has cerebral palsy, had been training with the UK Athletics-run Disability World Class Potential Programme, a scheme set up to bring through British athletes for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

But the former Horwich Harrier, who is now a member of Trafford Athletic Club, finished inside the qualifying times at several meetings around the country, prompting the selectors to give him a chance four years ahead of schedule.

And he has qualified without any sponsorship money, despite the fact that he was competing against full-time funded athletes.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," said Steven. "It was a big shock when I found out.

"My main aim is to get through the heats and into the final, and then go for a medal."

Qualification for the Paralympics is the latest in a long line of accolades for Steven, who won the North-west Young Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year award in December.

He will compete at 800m in the T37 category -- a classification given to Paralympic athletes with cerebral palsy.

Steven has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition which affects his ability to move the right side of his body.

"The type of cerebral palsy that I have means that my right side is weaker than my left side," Steven explained.

"I don't have as much mobility in my right ankle and my right wrist as I do in my left.

"But I was a competitive swimmer with Bolton Metro for five years, and that did improve my mobility."

Steven will now have to step up his training for the Paralympics while preparing for his first-year A-Level exams in psychology, biology, physical education and graphics.

He said: "I will miss the first two or three weeks of the new academic year while I'm in Athens, but the school said that was okay -- as it is the opportunity of a lifetime."

Steven's parents David and Gill, along with his twin brother Chris -- who is able-bodied -- will be in Athens to support him.

Gill said: "Steven was just gobsmacked when he found out he had been selected. He didn't really think that he would get in.

"Because Steven hasn't had any funding, David and I have given him a lot of support -- although Bolton Council have also helped by giving him free access to some of their facilities. The coaches at Trafford have also been very supportive.

"He will have to step up his training between now and the Games. But UK Athletics have already been in touch with him, and will help with his training programme, to make sure that he doesn't overdo it and peak too early."