He’s been doing it for years; 10 kilometres most days. Keigan Merry took up running to try to lose weight after being picked on at school for being chubby. 

“After two years of running I started to notice I was getting better,’’ he said.

So good in fact that in August, Keigan broke a school record that has stood for 26 years: he broke the 800 metre record at the Inverell High athletics carnival, running it in 2:17:63, smashing the old record by four seconds.

He also came first in high jump, first in shot put, first in discus, first in 100 metres, first in 200 metres, first in 400 metres.

He was crowned 14 years boys athletic champion and the wins sent him off to the zone carnival in Tamworth and onto the State Combined High Schools Carnival in Sydney two weeks ago.

He came home from the state carnival with a bronze in the 400 metre and a burning desire to make the nationals one day.

He knows he has a lot of work in front of him and he knows he has to manage his asthma.

“Having asthma doesn’t help a lot,’” he said. “It’s kind of hard when you’re doing the longer distances and you have to try to keep your breathing steady.”

Keigan suffered an asthma attack in the state cross country championships. 

“You get lightheaded and you just want to stop,’’ he said.

But he didn’t stop; he slowed down and he finished the race. “I didn’t come last,’’ he said.

Keigan is his own coach, working out his own training plan, researching via the internet.

“I just find it easier to push myself rather than having people telling me,’’ he said.