HE MAY still be a teenager competing as a junior but a new national champion is already turning senior heads.

Sam Hunt, 17, has just been crowned as Great Britain junior aquathlon champion after winning the National Championships in Manchester.

Moreover, his time of 28mins 35secs put him 11th in the overall standings, inclusive of all categories, and 2mins 24secs off the top spot.

Sam, who swims for Beckenham Swimming Club, said: "Winning was a big surprise and meant everything to me. I felt great and have got a taste for winning now."

The resident of Cromwell Road, Beckenham, had to swim 750m in open water followed by a 5km run.

His success follows winning the aquathlon for Bromley borough in the London Youth Games and being county champion for the 200m backstroke.

The Crystal Palace fan, who is coached by Glenn Cook in Eastbourne, said: "I have been swimming since I was 10 and I was always a good runner at school.

"My parents encouraged me to enter a race and I came third and from then I did more and more.

"Last year I was put on the World Class programme where selected athletes can get advice and equipment to help them progress and move up through the rankings."

Sam trains extremely hard swimming six miles every night, running about 80km a week and cycling about 20km.

He has just left Hayes School to take up a place on the Sports Science Course at Orpington College.

But it not just about winning as Sam recently ran the London 10km raising money for St Christopher's Hospice and he recently qualified as a lifeguard.

He enjoys the things most 17-year-olds would enjoy, including shopping and going out with friends.

And his friends drive him on to further success as he and chum Jon Vintner ran the London 10km last month.