James Ellington walked into Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, aged 13, on a cold October night in 1999.  There, he shook hands with new coach John Powell, whose squad had an international reputation for developing young sprinting talent both in the UK and abroad.  It was a partnership and beginning of a chapter in James' existence that would change his life forever!

Training alongside already established junior international names including Dwayne Grant, Chris Lambert and Timothy Abeyie, James was far from phased, and quickly established himself as a rising young talent, setting age group records the minute he began competing in 2000. County, Regional and National titles were to follow in abundance as 'Ellington' became a household name in British Junior Athletics, and he quickly emerged at junior international level.  In 2004 he completed one of the most sensational comebacks by any athlete after a serious hamstring tear looked to have destroyed his hopes in that year's World Junior Championships, in Italy.  In just 7 weeks, he came back to clinch second in the national championships and world junior championship trials, and gain automatic selection to the British team.  Against all the odds, he beat the then British number one Leon Baptiste, to final in the 100m, finishing seventh in the world.

Moving up through the under-23 age-group James continued his steady rise to World Class.  He struck gold as the anchor man in the British under-23 4x100m relay team in the European Championships in 2007, and over the past 3 years has become a permanent resident in the British senior sprints squad.  He struck gold in the 2011 European Team Championships after a scintillating run on third leg of the sprint relay, and now proudly boasts personal bests over 200 metres of 20.52 seconds, and 100 metres of 10.23 seconds (10.12s wind assisted).

The most moving aspect of James' story is that he has elevated himself to a world class performer without a sponsor, lottery support, kit deal, or any kind of endorsements.  In his coach's words, he has achieved what he has "...after simple hard graft, dedication, and determination...".  He was hailed as the ultimate professional after the 2011 World Championships by Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chief Coach Charles Van Comennee, and now sits as a favourite to lead the British cause in front of a live and TV audience of billions worldwide, in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Quite simply, James Ellington is British, talented, hard working, and one of the strongest believers in sport and its by-products any person could ever wish to meet.  His occasional employment by Met-Track, a youth diversion scheme founded and run by coach John Powell, has seen him working with some challenging young Londoners, passing on his experience and mentoring them toward positive futures.  It's a philosophy the Ellington brand holds dear - in keeping with his coach's motto, he truly believes in "Achieving Excellence by Endeavour"!

James, now a regular at the prestigious European Diamond League meetings and Crystal Palace Grand Prix showcase, continues to be a significant source of motivation for his fellow athletes in his 'Trackspeed1' training group under the tutelage of John Powell.  He has played no small part in advising and guiding the likes of European Junior Champion David Bolarinwa and others, as they aspire to follow in his famous footsteps.  James lives in Croydon, Surrey with his partner and one-year-old daughter.