A Marlow teenager scooped the prestigious Sir Steve Redgrave Bursary as Wycombe’s District Council handed out almost £6,500 of grants to young athletes last week.

Seb Garry, a 16-year-old triathlete, won the award after an impressive year of competition which saw him win a silver medal at the British Sprint Triathlon Championships.

He finished fifth at the ITU World Championships and also pre-qualified for a host of events which included the 2015 World Triathlon Championships, the 2016 European Triathlon Championships and the 2016 European Duathlon Championships.

The grant is worth over £1,000 and was the main prize at the ceremony in which 22 young athletes were honoured by guests including Olympic medallist Sarah Winckless and Councillor Ian McEnnis.

“We’ve got a large pool of sporting talent in the district and the Sir Steve Redgrave Bursary candidates inspire others to keep pushing themselves to fulfil their potential,” said Cllr McEnnis.

“The bursary remains a prestigious award that is not currently replicated across the county or even the country.

“We believe in promoting sporting development in the district and supporting our young athletes.”

Garry’s fifth-place finish at the ITU World Championships was made all the more impressive after he fought back from a 55th placing following the swimming stage of the event.

It is an achievement that he puts down to remaining calm in the face of pressure and not allowing the disappointment of a bad swim to effect the other aspects of his race.

The nature of the event also meant that Garry did not know what position he had come in until all the other competitors had finished their laps.

He will take part in the 2016 European Triathlon Championships in Chicago from September 15 to 20 next year and is trained by leading international coach Perry Agass.

The bursary is open to anyone under the age of 21 who is competing in any internationally recognised sport and aims to inspire Wycombe’s young sports stars to achieve Olympic and Paralympic success. The council created the scheme in 2001 after Redgrave, who is a resident of the district, had won his fifth Olympic gold medal.

Wycombe Hockey Club’s Harry Bennett was runner-up for the bursary after collecting bronze and silver medals at the national indoor and outdoor finals.

The Hughenden Valley-based athlete has represented Great Britain at Under-15 and Under-16 level and earned 17 international caps.

He also played for England at the Six Nations in Holland where he scored five goals.

Joint third place went to Sir William Borlase’s School students Ben Wright and Angus Bolton for their outstanding efforts in rowing.

The pair medalled at the British Senior Championships in the Junior Men’s Quad discipline, the Schools Head Competition and the National Schools Regatta.

The rowers also represented team GB at the Coupe de la Jeunesse where the team collected two bronze medals.

Last week’s award presentation was hosted by the Adventure Learning Foundation who have been awarded a grant to provide sports development services for the council until March 2019. For more information visit www.active-in.com.