SAM Kingston pauses for a moment when he’s asked to pinpoint his highlight from an action-packed year – the Caheragh teen is spoiled for choice.

There was his All-Ireland schools’ success, when the Skibbereen Community School student came out on top in the junior boys’ javelin (600g) with a best throw of 45.16m – also his new personal best. Sam (14) had already won his event at the National Spring Throws in Tullamore in April. He also struck gold at the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen – his first international medal. Quite the year.

‘There were a lot of highlights because I won a lot of competitions this year, but maybe breaking the South Munster record stands out – it had stood for 50 years,’ Sam says, reflecting on a magical day at the South Munster Schools Track and Field Championships in early May.

This was the first step on his journey to All-Ireland schools’ gold, and he grabbed the headlines after a record-breaking performance. With a monster throw of 43.85m, Sam bettered a schools’ junior javelin record that had stood since 1975 – breaking it in style, almost a metre further than the previous best.

‘That record was there for 50 years so it was brilliant to beat it and set a new one,’ adds Sam, who was recently presented with a Paudie Palmer West Cork Sports Star Youth award at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery.

Sam Kingston won gold at the Scottish championships in August.

It’s a fitting accolade to mark his best season yet, and apt too that on the day Sam accepted his award, a local woman – Kilbrittain’s Nicola Tuthill – finished 11th in the women’s hammer throw at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Field events in athletics are growing in popularity, inspired by trailblazers like Tuthill who are joining the dots between West Cork and the world stage. For Sam and his older sister Katie, also a javelin thrower of note, it’s important to have local role models like Tuthill.

‘I started the javelin because my sister was doing it, and it grew from there,’ explains Sam, who is an all-rounder. As well as athletics with Leevale AC, he plays soccer with Drinagh Rangers, football with Tadhg MacCarthaigh, basketball with Skibbereen Eagles – and he loves golf as well.

‘I liked the javelin from the start, and just kept going – it’s fun and I enjoy training.’

Sam showed promise early, breaking a Munster turbo javelin record in 2018 when he was only eight. Since then, he has consistently medalled at All-Ireland level, either with his club or at the Community Games.

Training with Irish throws coach Brian Scanlon at MTU has proved hugely beneficial too. Sam – blessed with a naturally fast arm – continues to improve. At club level this year, he won All-Ireland silver in the U16 boys’ javelin, missing gold by just 37 centimetres.

As for the future, Sam is confident he can swell his medal collection.

‘When you win, you want to do it again and again – I want to keep going and see what I can win,’ he smiles, having added a Paudie Palmer Youth award to a collection that looks certain to grow in the years ahead.