FEATURE: Commitment paying off for early riser Elliot

But Elliot Clogg is an exception to most teenagers.

The Mansfield swimmer has been in the same routine for the past couple of years - and is now reaping the rewards of those early starts.

The 15-year-old is a member of the City of Sheffield Swimming Club and, thanks to the devotion of parents Sharon and Derek, makes the trek to the Steel City a number of times a week.

As if that is not hectic enough, Elliot is in his GCSE year at Meden School so has to balance his studies with his swimming.

Sharon told the Chad: “Elliot’s not your typical teenager.

“There’s not many that would do what he does and it takes a lot of commitment.

“We (parents) have to be committed too, and most nights we won’t be leaving Sheffield until 7.45pm.

“Then when we get home it’s time to eat, then bed and then we do it all again.”

The punishing schedule may be enough to put off many teens and indeed their parents, but Elliot’s determination paid off recently when he shone on the international stage.

He wowed the packed crowd at inaugural Manchester International Swim Meet when he registered a new British junior national record in the 100m backstroke.

However, Sharon says that Elliot’s time of 54.89 seconds came as a surprise to many.

She said: “When he broke the British record, it came as a bit of a surprise.

“It wasn’t really on his radar so I suppose it just proves how well he’s doing.

“Competing at an event like that was invaluable for him really, especially in terms of the experience he got from swimming alongside some of the best in the country.

“Some of the older guys were joking that he was making them look bad as they were 25.”

In terms of the short-term future, Elliot’s focus is now on the North East regionals in November.

However, he has already qualified for the winter nationals thanks to his stellar form so far this year.

Sharon says that as long as his good form continues, he can look forward to an exciting 2016.

She added: “In the long-term there’s the British Championships which are next April.

“From that, Elliot would hope to get to the European Juniors which are in Hungary (July 2016).

“Obviously he will be up against some of the best in Europe but when he was starting out we could never have dreamed that he would be in this position.

“Anything is possible.

“It shows that hard work and talent pays off in the end.”