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A youngster from Haverhill will be taking the weight of the country on his shoulders when he competes in the Commonwealth Games in July.

Power-lifting Glen Puxley, 18, qualified for the summer’s sporting showpiece in Manchester at the Great Britain trials.

He was up against 20 competitors from across the country and finished third behind the current world Nos 1 and 2.

Puxley, who is partially wheelchair-bound because of a nervous muscle disorder, said: “I did not expect to qualify because I am only a junior, and some of those are the best in the country.

“I am really looking forward to the Commonwealth Games because it is something I have always wanted to go into.

“It is going to be a very difficult competition, but I intended to show them what I am made of.”

At the trials, he lifted 400lbs to beat the 14-year British record held by the current world No 1 Nick Slater.

Puxley is rated as the second best junior in the world and is a member of the British Elite team.

Last year, he won three gold medals at the international under-21 championships in America and a bronze at the national wheelchair champions.

Puxley is appealing for sponsorship after he was forced to move his training to Bury St Edmunds because the Sports Centre at Haverhill no longer had the facilities available for him to use.

He said: “I need sponsors for travelling and costs. I have written off to a lot of companies and not heard anything back.”