TWO local athletes have been selected to run for England in the World Cross Country Championships for athletes with special needs.

Blackburn Harrier Richard Robb, 33, will start a five day trip to Poland on April 4, and he will be joined by Derek Lee from Darwen Dashers provided he can recover from a recent injury.

Richard, from Withnell near Chorley, joined Blackburn Harriers in 1993 after completing a fun run at Witton Park.

He started as a sprinter with the novice group, but middle distance coach Arthur Almond quickly realised that he had stamina and moved him up to the 400m and 800m distances.

Within two years he was running for England winning gold medals at the 800m and 4x400m relay in his first international.

Now he has graduated to the 1500m and 5000m, and last summer even represented his club in the steeplechase when resources were stretched.

Although he prefers the track, he has gained much of his success over the country where he has represented England numerous times.

He has previously run in the European Championships, but appearing in his first World Championship will be the high point of his career.

As he reflected on those who had helped him - Arthur and the Harriers, staff at the Next Generation Gym in Chorley, and his employers for the last nine years Asda - he said: "I couldn't have done it without them."

Derek Lee was good at athletics at school, but it wasn't until he met Paralympic medallist Mark Brown around six years ago that he began to fulfil his potential.

Arm amputee Mark was competing at the Almond Blossom Cross Country Meeting in Portugal when he noticed that athletes with learning difficulties were also taking part.

On his return he contacted Sport England and managed to get Derek into a training weekend. He also took him under his wing at Clayton Harriers.

Derek hasn't looked back and has clocked up appearances in the World Cross Country Championships in Portugal and the World Track and Field Championships in Tunisia where he ran the 5000m and 10000m.

He even went to Sweden to play World Championship football for his country.

The 38-year-old has now moved to Darwen and switched clubs joining Darwen Dashers. Brown detects a new found independence and self confidence in Derek asserting that "athletics has been his saviour."

Derek is recovering from a hernia problem and appeared to be winning his battle to be fit for Poland with a strong run in the St Annes 10M, but then he was beaten up in Blackburn town centre and needed 14 stitches in a head wound.

He is hopeful of being fit to race, but if not he will aim for the European Track and Field Championships in July at Budapest.