ONLY a few months ago Britain was basking in the achievements of team GB in the Beijing Olympics and vowing to nurture our talent.

Now meet the 2012 hopeful, who wrote 200 letters and took out adverts in a town magazine to try to secure money for his Olympic dream.

Jack Green, 17, of Willowside, Snodland, is a 400-metre hurdler has just been ranked 11th in the world, for under 18s, by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

He is also the Kent Champion, the English and British Schools champion this year, has won numerous other championships, and Olympic decathlon medallist Daley Thompson named him one of 10 young athletes to watch.

Jack said: “The selections for 2012 will be done a couple of months before the Olympics. I just have to stay as I am and not over-train, so I reach my peak. It is a real possibility.”

He has received only a few small grants to attend events he needs to compete in to keep his ranking and stay on the hurdling radar.

He was due to get a grant from athletics’ governing body, UK Athletics, before it announced a funding cut and his money was withdrawn.

Jack, who has been hurdling for nearly a year, added: “My family has now spent several thousand.

“Events are held all over the UK and we have to pay for travel, hotels and sometimes the fee for me to compete can be as high as £150. Then my family have to pay to come into the stadium to watch me.”

Lafarge Cement UK, based in Snodland, saw Jack’s advert in Snodland Town Talk magazine and has pledged £500.

As a youngster, Jack, who attends Canterbury High School, always excelled at sports. He began running 400 metres, but switched to hurdling when a training partner suggested the discipline would suit him.

He moved to Snodland, from Folkestone, with his mum six months ago. The town was also home to Olympic long jumper, John King, best known for competing in the 1988 Seoul games.

Jack’s mother, Niki, 43, said: “He eats, breathes and sleeps it and cannot do the things other teenagers do. But there is nothing going into funding young athletes.”

Jack added: “My studies and social life have been sacrificed, but they can always be picked up later. I have only got this one chance at hurdling.”

Anyone who can help Jack with sponsorship can contact him on jackpgreen@hotmail.com