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Steven’s medal haul impresses Edwards

Kate Stirrup
29/ 7/2003

WHEN Olympic champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards sends you a personal message of congratulations, you know you are doing something right.

Nineteen-year-old Steven Hopkins, who has Down's Syndrome, has been a keen gymnast since he was eight - and has just returned from the Special Olympics in Dublin with six medals.

Steven, who is a pupil at Northenden's Piper Hill School, won two golds, three silvers and one bronze.

And as well as lots of praise from his teachers and classmates, Steven received a well done note from fellow gold medal winner Jonathan Edwards.

Piper Hill teacher Sue Blaylock, who passed the note to Steven after meeting Edwards at a dinner, said: "The note reads: `Congratulations and well done on all your Olympic medals.'

"At school we have had massive celebrations for Steven. We are all really proud of him. He has been to national events before, but this was his first international event and he has done really well."

Steven, who is planning to go to City College in September said: "In Dublin, I was really nervous but I just carried on through my pieces. I am a show-off, so it was good. At the end I was quite shocked when everyone clapped and cheered."

Steven was inspired by watching gymnastics on TV as a child. Since then he has visited the gym twice a week, often coached by his father.

In the future, he's hoping to extend his sporting skills by taking up power-lifting, but for now he's just enjoying his Olympic success.

The British team's coach Gwynnedd Lingard said: "Steven's achievements are his medals - he just worked so hard to win them. Throughout the World Games he was the team clown - always full of fun and nonsense, a really lively lad."