TEENAGER Steven Leigh is preparing for the biggest sporting night of his life as he bids for Paralympic glory.

The A-level student from Westhoughton will run for Great Britain in the 800m in Athens on Monday night.

Steven, aged 17, has taken time out from his studies at Rivington and Blackrod High School to compete at the Games.

And he is aiming to become the second competitor to make an impact in Athens, following Heaton boxer Amir Khan's heroics at last month's Olympics.

Steven, who has cerebral palsy, arrived in Athens with the rest of the British Paralympic team on Monday, having spent 10 days at their training camp in Cyprus.

He will run in the T38 category, a Paralympic classification for athletes with cerebral palsy.

Steven has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition which affects his ability to move the right side of his body.

He is the second-youngest of Britain's Paralympic athletes. Only discus thrower Clare Williams, 39 days his junior, is younger.

Steven's parents Gill and David flew out to Athens on Friday to lend their support to Steven, who qualified for a Paralympic Games four years earlier than expected.

He had been training with the UK Athletics-run Disability World Class Potential Programme, a scheme set up to bring through British athletes for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

But the former Horwich Harrier, who is now a member of Trafford Athletic Club, finished inside the qualifying times at several meetings around the country, prompting the selectors to give him a chance four years ahead of schedule.

Gill said: "We are all very excited. Steven has had lots of good luck messages for neighbours and friends. We can't put it into words how proud we are that he's qualified.

"He's never competed at this level before, and it's a tall order for him, as he's up against the best in the world. But we're hoping he enjoys the occasion and makes the most of it. Whatever happens, we know he will give it his best."

Qualification for the Paralympics is the latest achievement in a remarkable 12 months for Steven, who won the North-west Young Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year award in December.

The teenager has qualified for the Games without any sponsorship money, despite the fact that he was competing against full-time funded athletes.